


Monster That we Bred

by wellthizizdeprezzing



Series: Monster Chronicles [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Dark Humor, Demon AU, F/F, Family, Forbidden, Forbidden Love, Married Life, Raising a family, Smut, angel au, demons and angels au, magic baby, odd humor, saving the world again
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2020-09-24 03:17:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20351494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wellthizizdeprezzing/pseuds/wellthizizdeprezzing
Summary: Regina is now the Queen of Hell. Emma is still the angelic savior. But neither of those roles has left them prepared to raise their special child together. And with fresh trouble on the horizon for the new family, it's a good thing Grandma Mary can babysit because Regina and Emma are going to need to fight for their happy end. Magic!baby. Demon AU.





	1. Recap and Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This chapter starts with a brief recap for those who read Monster in my Bed already, and a brief explanation for those who have not and just stumbled on this fic.

Once upon a time there was an orphaned girl named Emma. Tired of the abuse she would suffer at the hands of others, she on a whim summoned a demon. This demon, named Regina, would turn out to be her sole companion for years as the girl grew into a teenager and then a woman. Over the decades they faced many trials, such as other demons who hungered for Emma's soul, hardships with people, traveling from realms, being chased by other evils, and they also began to unexpectedly fall in love.

But as all things go, the good could not last and their romance was cut short when it came out that Emma was actually the daughter of two angels and had been stolen away by demons to lead a shitty life on earth that would lead her onto the path of summoning Regina and having her enter a contract with her in order to get her soul. Emma's soul was needed because it was very powerful as she was the destined savior and it could trigger the end of the world if used incorrectly. But because her soul was so pure it needed to be corrupted first and falling in love with a demon, which should have made it black, only made it pure once more.

Reeling from the truth of her heritage, and of Regina's betrayal, Emma was forced to accept the destiny of being the savior and in saving the world from the oncoming apocalypse. Regina showed up to fight for Emma's safety and soul in a tournament where the odds were stacked against her. Using her love for Emma to fuel her, Regina was able to gain new abilities she had not had before. And, finding an unlikely ally in Ursula, a fellow demon that had tried to kill Regina before, they fought against the seven sins of hell- Cruella, Tremaine, Mal, and Gothel, before Ursula turned on Regina. At the end only Cora was left for Regina to fight and nearing the end of her strength, she was aided by Mal in a surprisingly unselfish turn of events. However, Cora took control of Regina's heart and forced her to take Emma's soul.

But, with Mal's help, the soul was returned, only for Cora to infuse Emma with so much rage that she turned against Regina of her own free will and Regina was forced to fight her own lover, until at last, she used her newly gained powers of love to get through to her and Emma gifted Regina the legendary demon slaying sword to one hit kill Cora.

In this way the world and Emma were saved and the angel and reformed demon were allowed to go and live peacefully together after helping to rebuild angel society and the human cities. But upon their love making reunion and celebration of surviving the odds, they find that their conjoined magic has created a little surprise for them.

This is their story...

* * *

The figure stood waiting in the desolate alleyway like they had been instructed to. The sounds of the human city filtered in and bounced off the brick on both sides.

The human world had recovered nicely since the Apocalypse with a bit of help from angel magic that conveniently just so happened to wipe human memory away as well. Which meant the humans got to go around, not knowing of the evils and angers that had passed them, that had nearly destroyed them.

The figure wished they could do the same. Could have the awful suffering they had gone through erased from their minds. But, no. They were left with their memories as punishment. Losing him had been punishment enough.

And that's why the figure wanted revenge. Wanted to seek retribution against those who had wronged them and against those who could enjoy what they could not. What they had been denied. Every time they looked on at Regina and Emma flaunting their love openly, they got sick with envy. Apparently, now that the spawn of Mary and David had wanted to love a demon, it was okay with mommy and daddy. But when the figure had wanted to do the same, so much trouble and perils had befallen them for such a simple act as love.

Which was supposed to be the purest thing in the world. Which was supposed to cleanse all. It had cleansed Regina. Why couldn't the same be true for him?

Lost in their thoughts they did not notice the woman standing on the roof, looking down on them.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked, jerking the hooded figure from their recollections. Anger burned in their chest and they wanted to hurt Emma and her demon, along with Mary and David. And then, they would find their missing love, wrongly imprisoned.

"Bloodshed," the figure growled out as the woman landed lightly next to them. The woman had red hair and a cheery British accent.

"Ooo, I do love that. Except for being on the receiving end on it. It really puts a cramp in my day."

The figure did not like the woman's flippant manner.

"I was told you could help me. If you aren't serious about this, then I'll take my business elsewhere." The figure moved to leave but the woman grabbed their wrist, eyes suddenly filled with cold malice and aura threatening.

"Oh, I am deadly serious. Regina took away my one chance to be a true heir to the throne. To prove my worth to my family. And then she went and killed Cora, queen of Hell. I want Regina's head on a pike for that," she vowed.

"Good, because I want her hurting as well."

The woman gave a curt nod of her head. "Then it's settled. We both have the same goal in mind."

"You help me, and I'll give you unfettered access to Regina so you may revenge yourself upon her for the both of us. But first, we have to find Cora."

"Haven't you heard? She's dead."

"Yes, she was. But you don't know a little known fact, and that is that her heart was not in her body when she was killed," the figure stated and the woman's smile began to get wider and wider when she realized where this information was heading.

"I've had a lot of time to get my hands on vital information and resources. Heart magic is an old line of magic that only demons possess and it has to be passed down from generation to generation to be taught. But something interesting about it is, that if the vessel of the demon is destroyed yet the heart remains, that resurrection is possible."

The woman with red hair let out a wild laugh, gleeful. "This just means we have to find Cora's heart and then put it into a temporary vessel and she'll be back!"

Finally, she would have a chance to impress the once queen of hell and to take Regina down a peg.

"It'll be a lovely family reunion once more," she said, eager to see this plan through. She disappeared in a puff of orange smoke, leaving the hooded figure behind. They took out a locket in which they had a photo of a man. They stroked the glass lovingly.

"Soon, my love, we will be together once more," they promised and then left the alley, scheming maliciously as they did.


	2. We're Going to be Parents?!

_I'll say will you marry me? I swear that I will mean it_

_-Jason Derulo, Marry Me-_

* * *

"R-Regina," Emma slowly stuttered, her heart racing in her chest like a wild stallion. "What do you mean by anti-christ?"

But the demon was already off in another world entirely, getting off the bed and pacing around, a mixture of dread and elation on her face. "Regina!" Emma called more sharply, finally focusing the brunette's attention on her.

"I'm going to be a mother, Emma," she grinned, energetic and motions grand. "Or a father, since I've sired it. Either way, it doesn't matter. We're going to be parents!"

"We're going to be parents?!" Emma gulped harshly. She didn't know if she was ready for that! They had just finished saving the world from the apocalypse, and the world was still recovering. Was this even a good time to have a child?

And not just any child, but the anti-christ?

Jesus, that did not sound good.

"Regina, I need you to tell me what the hell an anti-christ is." Emma tried to keep her voice even as she processed all this.

"The spawn of an angel and demon. It's been foretold to bring upon ruination and destruction once it is born." Regina was too giddy about having a child to actually be worried over that portion. Also, she was a demon. She didn't much care for the world. She had only saved it before because she had been trying to save Emma's soul and the world was sort of an additional bonus.

"That doesn't sound good," Emma said quietly. Regina now sensed Emma's discomfort. She sat down by her lover, holding her hands in a tight reassuring grip.

"Emma, I realize this is a lot for you to take in. And maybe you don't even want this child. I won't force you to have it."

Emma shook her head. She might not be ready to have a child, but she wasn't going to forsake one just because of it. It was something she and Regina had created out of love. Out of _true_ love. This child would be special, even foreboding prophecy or not.

"I don't want to get rid of it," Emma said, placing a hand on her stomach. She couldn't feel anything moving there but in months surely she would. "They're going to be special. They're going to be ours. I'm just...I just don't know if I'll be a good mother," she voiced out loud.

"Emma, you'll be the perfect mother," Regina said earnestly. "I wouldn't want anyone else to have my kids."

Emma smiled delicately. "But the whole anti-christ thing..." she trailed off, not sure how to continue.

"It doesn't have to be true. Just because a stupid prophecy says one thing doesn't mean it'll come true. You were destined to be savior. To stop the war, yet you let me do it. You gave me a chance to swing the sword of Gabriel. And it might not even be our child who is the anti-christ."

"But how many other demon angel couples are there?" Emma asked.

"Not many, but if they are destined to go bad, we both know we can rewrite their destiny. If we don't treat them as evil, they won't grow up thinking they are. And I have a good feeling about this," Regina said, turning over Emma's hand to see the glowing marks on the back of it. "A really good feeling." She didn't know why she had it, nor could she explain it, but it was just there.

"Alright. I trust that," Emma said, nodding her head. She knew that Regina would support her. Would always be by her side.

"And just because their going to be technically an anti-christ, doesn't mean anything. You of all people know how misleading labels are," Regina said, getting up and magicking clothes onto both of them. Now that she had a kid to plan for, she had to get everything in order.

She was worried that maybe their kid would be bullied for his label, which was why she had been so freaked out before. But maybe he could lead a normal life. She would kill anyone who tried to hurt him.

Emma knew that what Regina spoke was true. After all, Regina was a reformed demon and Emma wasn't angel quality material at all. Their son or daughter could be whatever they wanted them to be.

"We need to get married first," Regina said, mentally ticking things off in her head.

"Old fashioned," Emma teased though her heart did soar at the idea of being married. Of having a deep bond to show she and Regina were forever tied together.

"And then we have to tell your parents."

Emma quieted down at this. "Do we have to?" she whined out.

"Oh yes," Regina gave a positively devious grin. "I want to see their reactions."

"So you knocked me up just to give my parents heart attacks?" Emma groaned out, not looking forward to telling her parents this news.

Regina didn't comment on that. Even though she and David and Mary weren't at each other's throats Regina still took inordinate pleasure in annoying them. Except this time, she had the ultimate pleasure of annoying them.

* * *

They planned the wedding together and in a fast manner. Regina didn't want to invite anyone, which was fair, as all her friends were demons and they no doubt would not appreciate her being with an angel. Emma faced a similar situation where she didn't really have friends, and she wasn't going to invite her angel parents to this. No way. She would already hear the nagging that was going to go on. Nagging about how it wasn't romantic enough. How they needed to have white doves or an orchestra to cement this moment. Nope. Emma wasn't in the mood for any of that. She just wanted something simple, because she knew Regina was irrevocably hers. The marriage would just be a way to flaunt it.

"Last names?" Regina asked as they decided what to do about them.

Emma shrugged. She didn't really care if she kept hers or not. "You want to keep yours?"

Regina shook her head. "Not so. My last name is Mills but it comes from the word slaughter mills. Not exactly the sort of name I want to conscript to a child, especially if we're trying to put our pasts behind us and start a normal life going forwards."

A normal life. It sounded so odd. Unattainable. Not too long ago the earth had been crawling with demons and Emma had watched Regina get taken apart and pieced back together thousands of times.

Would normal be possible for them? Especially with such a special child on the way?

"Then do you want to take my last name?" she asked.

"It certainly sounds better. And I don't mind taking it. Swan, such a lovely name."

"I made up that last name. Gave it to myself," Emma said as she went back in time to when she was young and lonely and feeling hopeless and lost in a big world. "I gave it to myself so I would feel better. So I could feel wanted, because swan's are such pretty creatures and are always admired by many."

"And you are admired now. By many." Regina was referring to the angels up above but Emma couldn't care less about their opinions. She only cared for Regina's affections.

"But I only care about your affections," Emma voiced out loud, hiking up a brow. "Miss Regina Swan."

Regina grinned as her hands came to wrap around Emma's waist. "And let me show you how much _I _admire you," she breathed out against pink lips before capturing them with her own. And Regina did prove to Emma all night long how much she did. thoroughly and loudly.

Regina bought the rings. They were lovely bands of white gold with their names scripted in the inside. There was no point in an engagement because they already knew they wanted to be married to each other and were in a rush to do it.

So they took a civil wedding. Nothing too fancy. It was quick, effortless, and certainly not romantic as neither of them considered themselves romantic, and when it was over, Regina took Emma away on a whirlwind of a honeymoon.

When Emma had asked if demons had any protocol or traditions surrounding marriage and honeymoons, Regina had admitted that demons typically took honeymoons that involved ransacking and destroying whole villages. They both agreed it was best not to do this in this case.

And Emma didn't know any angel traditions around marriages, so they settled on a human one.

They island hopped in Hawaii, hiking up volcanoes, sunbathing, surfing, and partaking in Hawaiian culture like hula dance. It was a great week and a half and they certainly had many moments in bed together. Their hotel room neighbors complained a lot about the noise so Regina bought out a house off the side of a volcano and they spent their time there instead.

Emma could begin to feel kicks from their child even this early on and she wondered why. Her stomach was growing fast too. Already she looked three months along.

"It's because it's a magical baby, Emma. You'll probably give birth sooner or later. But is everything alright? Do you feel any aches or pains?" Regina asked. She had been studying up all the ancient texts she could find about the birthing of an anti-christ but had been unable to find anything useful. All it talked about was the fact of the birth afterwards.

"No, I feel okay. I just like, have a weird craving for meat," Emma said, rubbing her stomach and smacking her lips. Every time they ordered out, she always got the meatiest and juiciest meal possible. The rawer the better. In fact, she often ordered double because she was eating for two now, after all. "Is that normal?"

"It's completely normal for you to crave flesh. When my mother had me she ate three fields worth of raw cow meat each day."

Emma gave Regina a look. She had no intentions of doing that. It sounded disgusting. "Are you serious."

"Yes. But you should be fine."

They were silent a moment as they lounged on patio chairs, taking on the view of the rain-forest before them. It was so peaceful and nice here. Maybe they could buy a house here and come by whenever they felt like it.

"You know, we haven't picked a name for him yet."

"How do you know it's a him?" Regina asked, quirking up a brow.

"I just know," Emma answered, stroking a hand over her belly. "I know it's going to be a boy. I can feel it in my bones."

"If it's going to be a boy, I wanted to name him Henry. After my father."

Emma quirked a brow. "Your father was named Henry? That's a pretty normal name for a demon."

"It's not his full name," Regina confessed. "His full name was Henrikus Archimedus Archibold Velociraptor Igrek Exceedus Mongrel Slaughter Mills. But we all called him Henry for short."

Emma stifled a snort. "Velociraptor. He was named after a dinosaur?"

"No, that kind of dinosaur was named after him," Regina explained.

Emma was learning new things about demons each day. So fascinating. "We'll name him Henry," she concluded on, because she knew it would Regina immensely happy to name their son after her father.

When they came back from their honeymoon, tan and smelling of coconut oil, they found a man standing in front of their suburban house. He was just sitting on their steps, newspaper in his hand. He had on an old fashioned suit, like those out of the 1920s, and a hat sat on his head, covering his curls. Regina immediately stiffened. "Demon," she hissed, pulling Emma behind her so as to protect her.

The man, sensing Regina was here, jumped up to his feet and then promptly bowed in half. "My queen. I must speak with you."

Regina blinked in shock at him. She had forgotten all about the fact that Hell was now without a ruler and that since she'd killed Cora, it had gone to her. "What is it you must say?"

"Terrible news. News of the highest concern. But we must speak privately," he said, giving Emma the side eye.

"Very well," Regina said. If it was something bad, she didn't want to worry Emma needlessly and put stress on the baby. "Emma, wait for me inside. I'll be back soon."

Emma looked worried, as if harm might come to Regina. She had spent too much time watching Regina get pulled and pushed into various pieces. She didn't want any harm to come to her again, not just when they were starting up their family. "I'll be fine," Regina assured her wife, giving her a soft peek on the cheek. Emma nodded her head reluctantly and teleported inside the house where she continued to fret and looked out the window to make sure the man did not harm Regina. Otherwise she'd be flying out the steps and fighting.

The demon approached Regina, bowing before her again. "I am Malficus Partium Nivari. Or Sidney if you'd prefer my human name. And I am here to serve as your personal servant, my queen."

Each ruler of hell had armies of servants to do their bidding. But only one servant, was allowed to be directly in contact with them, handling their matters of utmost importance. Sidney was that demon.

"What is the news you speak off."

He straightened up. "There is a vacuum in Hell. A vacuum of power. And we need you to take control of it. I have not come up earlier because Hell was in shambles and legislation needed to be filled out to put everything back in order and to give you the transfer of power. But, we cannot wait any longer. We need you to guide us. We need you to put souls to rest. There is an overflow. Hell is being swarmed by the malignant dead."

Regina shook her head. "I don't want the throne. Can't I give it to someone else?"

"You must take the throne. If you don't, then it will be taken over by an unrightful heir and chaos will reign. Another invasion of the earth could begin. Your wife's soul could be in danger again. And the council of seven is in shambles as well. We need new members."

Regina pinched her brow. She really did not want this. She just wanted a quiet life. A normal life. "If I come and help you all fix these issues, can I then give the throne to someone else?"

Sidney contemplated this. "I suppose so. But someone would need to wrest control of it from you in an ancient duel."

"Very well," Regina nodded her head stiffly and unhappily. "I'll rule over Hell for now, only because I am doing this to protect Emma's soul. But I am not staying there. Once I fix everything I am leaving."

Sidney looked delighted by this; not by her planning on vacating the throne, but supporting it for now. "I'll come by tomorrow with all the information you'll need." He poofed away and with a heavy heart, Regina came back inside the house where she found Emma had made some tea for them. She had thought the threat over Emma's soul was gone now that her mother wasn't in office anymore. And speaking of her dead mother, could Regina trust Sidney? He had worked for her for many years. Was he loyal to her still? Was he trying to mislead Regina?

What Regina knew of the it was that Sidney had to be loyal to whoever was the ruler, forever bound to be dutiful to them no matter what they ordered him to do. It was kind of a pitiful existence, to be bound for his whole life. For his whole life to be of servitude and to amass to nothing more.

His nickname, the Genie, was for good reason.

"What's wrong. What did he tell you?" Emma asked, coming over to inspect Regina and to make sure she wasn't hurt.

Sidney had found them. Would other demons find them as easily? No, once more Regina answered her own fretting. Only because he was bound to her, could he do so. Other demons would not because of the extensive spells she had put on the house, and he would never give up his location to others because of his loyalty.

"They want me to go back to Hell," Regina said in one swoop, like ripping off a band aid.

"Why?" Emma looked horrified and Regina didn't blame her. This wasn't easy news to digest.

"Because when I killed my mother, the throne came to me next, because I had defeated her. And now, they want me to clean up the mess that's there."

"And you're going to do it?"

"I don't have much of a choice." While Regina would like to go on and not have to think about these concerns, there were some real dangers awaiting if she didn't do something about this. "If I don't fix the problems down there, there could be problems up here. The dead could spill out, kill the living. Demons could devour entire cities and towns. Someone else could take over the throne and implement the apocalypse once more. I don't very much want to do this, but I need to fix the problems. For us," she said, kissing Emma on the forehead. "And for our child. I want this world to be safe when he comes into it." She didn't mention how Emma's soul could still be in danger. Maybe Sidney had said that just to get her to want to come back. "And as soon as I'm done, I'll find a successor to take my place."

Emma didn't look too happy about this, but she knew all too well the crushing weight of expectations and of destiny. She had had it thrust upon her not so long ago and she was still grappling with it. "Promise me you'll be fine."

"I will be. I promise," Regina said, softly pecking Emma on the lips.

"And when will you leave?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I won't be far away. If you ever need something, just call me." She produced a card. The Calling Card.

It came out of thin air and it was sleek and black with nothing on it. So, in fact it was confirmed. She was now the new ruler if she could hand these cards out. But she hadn't felt the transfer of power at all. Maybe she had yet to fully receive it when she ventured down there?

"What's this?" Emma took the card, looking it over. It was blank on both sides. And ice cold to the touch.

"A calling card for the devil. If you ever need anything, just whisper my name into it and I'll come calling."

The fact Emma had this, reassured her. She only hoped the job could get quickly done, because she was scared of being on her own with their child. What if she messed up? What if she hurt him? What if she got hurt?

Why couldn't she and Regina ever have more than a month's time to be together peacefully? She steeled her resolve. She would have to get through this. She knew things would okay in a manner of months.

But how wrong she would be.


	3. Holy Hell

* * *

_You should see me in a crown_   
_I'm gonna run this nothing town_   
_Watch me make 'em bow_

_-You Should See me in a Crown, Billie Eilish-_

* * *

Sidney, true to his word, did bring up the necessary forms and information for Regina to fill out. Stacks and stacks of paper forms that had her head hurting and her eyes strained. There was a lot to take in and it made her depressed to think on how much she would have to fix after ascending to the throne.

Her hopes for finishing this quickly were dashed. This would be months of work to stabilize Hell even, much less leave it open for another successor.

Emma was supportive of Regina while she read her papers. She brought her food and drinks to keep her going, even gave her tense shoulders a massage. "I should be the one pampering over you and not the other way around," Regina said, because with their special baby on the way, Emma would need all the support she could get.

Emma didn't mind. "I'm still alright. And besides, you look stressed. This is the least I can do to help you."

"Thank you," Regina said, kissing Emma softly on the back of her hand. Then she turned back to her work, wishing she could spend more time with Emma instead of this work.

The next day, Regina woke up before Emma did. She figured leaving this early on would make it less hard on Emma to see her going to work. She regretted leaving her wife's warm and soft body and the little home they had made for themselves but she had a job now she couldn't quite ignore. She quickly dressed and ate breakfast before meeting Sidney outside of the house. He was waiting patiently for her there.

"Ready?"

"I suppose," Regina said. She was wearing a power suit. Vanta black, a color so dark is absorbed light when looked at. The top buttons of her shirt were undone to reveal her collarbone and had the collar splayed out. Her cuff-links were the only spot of color- red and gold. It would be important to exhume power and arrogance. Or else she would have dissent already. She knew she would regardless, and she would need a display of strength and evil to convince them not to throw a coup at her.

Despite not wanting to have the throne, things would be safer if she did rule it. Because at least she knew she wouldn't try to invade Earth, or harm anyone needlessly.

The two of them disappeared in the early morning dusk and reappeared down in Hell.

Regina took in a deep breath. Ah, the smell of sulfur, hot molten melting, and rotting flesh. Home. She hadn't been here in so long. She looked out over the suffering happening in the fields below her, gazing down from the highest point of her- once her late mother's- private domain. Screams of souls, the clinking of torture machinery, and laughter of demons greeted her ears. Even the sounds had not changed.

Her eyes took in the mansion in front of her. It had belonged to her mother but now it was hers. As she looked on at it she decided she would make some changes. Some of the architecture did no longer sit right with her. Like the poor souls trapped in the marble of the columns and forced to uphold the weight of the building. It was a punishment for them.

But Regina did remember most of the mansion, mainly the memories formed in there. The doors opened up to admit her. Her mother had done renovations on it whenever her surroundings got stale around her. Regina's fingers trailed over the furniture, all so ornate it was almost Rococo style. She could remember running down the dark and cavernous halls with the other sins when they had been much younger and more innocent to the ways of the world. Images fluttered through her head.

The dining room, with it's table made of bones, where they would have dinner and argue over who would get what piece of raw meat.

The bathroom, with it's pure gold bath and wall to wall mirrors, where she and Ursula used to bathe together in lava hot water as young ones, playing with severed hands like humans do with rubber ducks.

The basement, full of torture weapons and outfitted with cobblestone on the walls and floor, where she and Mal, Cruella and Tremaine held a competition to see who could torture the most souls.

The gardens where Cruella would send her dogs on poor souls and they would make bets and watch and spectate on which human would survive. The results were always bloody and gruesome and Cruella would always win because she could control her hounds after all and made them win her her bets for chests of treasure.

"I will renovate this place," Regina said when she noticed Sidney looking at her for a reaction. "Get the servants on the matter." She could do it with her own magic, but if she did it might make her look like a pushover already on her first day back in Hell. She couldn't have that, especially because today was her coronation.

"As you wish," he bowed and then teleported away to do so. Regina put her hands into her pockets, trying to delay for a moment longer from having to go to her ceremony. She wondered, could she ever bring Emma down here so the angel could see the place? Emma had always wondered what it looked like and since Regina had been brought to heaven, she figured it only fair Emma could see the world she heralded from too.

The servants of the mansion appeared in puffs of smoke around her. They were all small ugly little demon creatures. With thin rat like tails and bat wings, and long limbs with skin stretched tight. Their heads were skulls with embers of fire in each eye socket.

"I want this place made modern," she stated. "With all the needed technology and with the architectural structure. And I want it done by tonight."

The minions all squeaked and began scrambling to do so, shouting out commands to each other in their own language.

Then, swiveling on her heel, she went to where Sidney stood behind her, arm out. He was going to escort her to the ceremony. She straightened her back and stuck out her chin. Time to act like the queen she was born to be.

The ceremony took place in the most ancient of fields. The earth was scorched and blackened here, with red veins of lava running through. Already thousands of demons stood in attendance, chattering to one another. Regina had no idea what their reception would be to her. Very easily this could go badly.

She stepped up onto the raised dais in the front of the crowd. It was a good several feet up, making all the demons below her look like ants. Stepped to the edge, Sidney by her side faithfully and the High Arch-Demon next to her left. He would be the one to assign her the crown. Already it rested in his gnarled blackened hands. He was wearing a mockery of a bishop's outfit but with the red cross upside down on the white clothing.

The crowd silenced as she stood in front of it, looking down with cool eyes. She sneered down at them, trying her best to emulate her mother.

"Regina Malum, you have been selected to be the new queen of hell after murdering your mother in an ancient battle of rights. As such the crown belongs to you," the Arch-Demon stated, holding it out. "Will you accept it?"

She snatched the crown up, knowing full well this would be a power move her mother would make and would probably instruct Regina to make too. How odd, this all was. Regina had hated her mother, had wanted her demise for so long, but in this moment, she couldn't stop thinking how her mother would finally be proud of her for being queen.

The crown was a heavy thing of twisted gold, with edges so sharp they would have cut a human at the lightest touch. She put it onto her head and immediately felt the transfer of power entering her body. It was quick, only lasting less than thirty seconds, but she had to do everything in her will to remain standing as she fought it to keep from overwhelming her. She wanted to drop to her knees and scream as it overloaded every last sense but as soon as it came, it was gone.

She didn't feel any different, except she did. She merely could not put her finger on it yet. Taking in a deep breath to cover the slight shaking of her limbs, she leered down at the crowd. "Bow before me, scum. I am now your new queen to who you pledge fealty to. Should you be found in contempt of resisting my new empire, I will end you without mercy!"

Her voice rang out strong, echoing through the cavern. The sounds of thousands of demons dropping to their knees sounded out and she couldn't help but feel a bit of awe at this. Maybe she didn't want this job, or this title, but it did feel nice to command such power over others.

Maybe...just maybe, she could do some good for hell. She didn't want to hurt anyone, not anymore-because Emma had shown her love, had shown her how to be good. But she knew her new role might force her hand on the matter. Might force her to back slid on these issues. For now, she would take everything one step at a time.

"All hail Regina Malum, queen of Hell!" rang the cries of her new citizens.

Regina let a wide smile stretch her lips. "And now we feast and drink to gluttony!" She announced.

Every time there was a crowning, all torture in hell stopped so that the new queen could be celebrated. Insane amounts of food and drink were served as the demons danced until the night waned. Regina would not be among them. The queen should never allow herself to mix with them because it was considered bad luck. She should eat specially prepared food that would aid in her journey to being the strongest queen she could be.

Already as she turned her back on the soon to be rowdy crowd of demons, the Arch-Demon and Sidney were waiting for her by a lavish table set for three. Fine dining with only the best cuts of meat. She let out a small relieved breath. The worst had been over; her fears of an attack on her leadership unfounded. No one had mentioned anything about her being involved with angels, or with stopping the war. Word might not have gone around, but she would certainly have Sidney put an ear out to make sure those facts stayed rumors, or even better, as unspoken words.

Silently, the three of them ate their meal while the screaming of wild demons below interspersed their dinner.

* * *

By the time Regina got back it was late at night and she was surprised Emma was still up. The angel looked worried and as soon as the door opened to admit Regina, she was leaping from her chair, hugging her.

She let out a happy groan, melting into her wife. All her acquired aches from the day were gone, melting away as if by magic. Because Emma was using magic to heal her. "How was your day?" she asked, pulling away to let Regina hang up her blazer on the hook.

"Tiring. Went to Hell, renovated my mansion-" the minions had done a good job. The once Rocco manor was now sleek and made of sharp edges and glass. It looked like it came out of a magazine for modern living and if no one looked out the windows, they wouldn't even know it was located in hell. Regina had asked for a soundproofed walls because while her mother had liked to listen to the sweet cacophony of tormented and anguished cries, Regina didn't want to. She had grown used to the more human noises of the above world. Like cars rushing, or the patter of rain.

"-became queen," she brushed over this quickly, "checked out the congestion of dead souls, and some of the broken circles of hell. Someone's been mixing up where the damned go."

"Wait, did you just say become queen?" Emma blinked, questioning.

"Yes, but it's not that big of a deal-"

"Not that big of a deal!" Emma squeaked out. She knew Regina had mentioned it being an upcoming factor in her life, but now that it had happened, it was such a big event! "It's a big fucking deal, why didn't you say anything?"

"It's not exactly a point of pride for me," Regina said with a hint of contrite in her voice.

"I wanted to be there. To see you being crowned. Why didn't you invite me?" Emma pouted, hurt. She wished she could have supported her wife in such a life changing moment!

"Because it was dangerous," Regina replied sternly. And there was no way an angel could openly be there. Emma would get hurt, or worse! "I didn't want to risk you. Or our child."

"I know that's why you didn't allow me to come. But I would have loved to see you ascend to your throne. Or to see you wearing your crown. I bet you look very dashing in it," Emma enticed, running her arms up Regina's shoulders.

"I do," Regina assured. "I could always wear it to bed?" she suggested as the golden entity sprung to life on her head, gleaming even in the low lights of the house. Regina would opt most of the time not to wear it outside of work. It was heavy and reminded her of her obligations that took her away from her family.

"Yes, I would like that very much my queen. And maybe you could use my face as a throne?"

"You want me to sit on your face?" Regina inquired feeling her body light up at the suggestion.

"I would very much like you to do that." Emma cupped Regina's chin and kissed her once, twice, on the lips all such slow and languid kisses that Regina's eyes fluttered shut in delight and contention. "I want to treat you like the queen you are."

Suffice to say, Emma didn't let Regina reciprocate at all that evening. Everything was about her and the demon had to admit, it felt nice to leave things in her capable angel's hands.

"You know, sometimes I think that you're my guardian angel," Regina admitted as they cuddled under the covers. Regina's hand was on Emma's belly, listening for any kicks or anything or that sort. Henry was getting more active and her heart would leap each time she felt him stir beneath her fingers.

"That's sweet," Emma commented. She was drowsy and about to drift off to sleep. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you saved me."

"_You_ saved me," Emma rebutted. "If I hadn't entered that contract with you, than I would have continued living a wretched life. I wouldn't know I was an angel. I wouldn't know love. Or happiness. Or what it feels like to have a home."

Regina stroked Emma's soft cheek. "Despite me protecting you in the contract at first, I feel like it evolved and you gave me a home and a place to belong to. You watched over me and guided me onto the right path and I couldn't be happier to have my true love with you," she said softly, eyes full of love and wonder for her wife.

"You are so sappy," Emma giggled and nuzzled closer to Regina, inhaling her enticing scent. "And I love you. But you need to shut up now and let us sleep," she curled a hand over her belly to let Regina know she was taking about Henry and herself. Regina smiled and obliged and soon the three of them were knocked out.

* * *

The days progressed as normally as they could for an inter species couple awaiting on the birth of the anti-christ in a post apocalyptic world. When Regina was away at work, Emma would content herself with doing chores around the house, eating to keep up her health and the baby's, reading books on motherhood, or walking around town and meeting the folks there.

She had recently become good friends with an open minded couple that lived a few blocks down and had three adopted kids of their own, all from different cultures.

Their names were Mike and Archie and one was a mechanic and the other a therapist. They were funny and so in love with each other even with ten years of marriage.

They gave Emma some good advice on raising kids.

"You can read all the books you like, but in the end, you raise them how you can," Archie said.

"And if you traumatize them than you can just send them to Archie and he'll give them free therapy," Mike jested and Emma had truly laughed at that, because if Archie knew what their child truly was, he'd be the traumatized one.

But when Regina was home in the afternoons-not even her weekends were off as being queen was a full time commitment-, she and Emma began to plan for their child. Like buying toys, or decorating a room for him.

They settled on a neutral color- gray- and filled it with a crib, high chair, and lots of toys to make sure he had something to play with.

But one thing gave Emma pause as she watched Regina put it into the crib.

"What is that?" Emma asked, arching up a brow.

"What? I'll wrap the edges," Regina explained.

"Regina, that's not the point. A baby can't have a machete as a toy!"

"And why not? I enjoyed them very much as a child."

"Regina, we don't know if he won't get hurt playing with them."

Regina scoffed. "Emma, he's the child of two immortal beings. I think he'll be fine."

Emma wasn't having any of that. She put her foot down. "The machete goes." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Fine!" Regina threw her hands up in the air. "Be like that. But when our son doesn't know how to stab anyone and protect himself, don't come crying to me." The demon said this as she stomped off.

"He won't be needing how to learn to stab someone!" Emma cried out, distraught by this idea. "He'll be safe with us!"

"I won't have a son of mine not be a killer!" came back Regina's shouted answer.

"Regina!" Emma gasped, hurrying after her. "I thought we agreed on that we wouldn't raise him to be evil. But neutral!"

"Killing a little here and there doesn't make him evil! And besides, if he's meant to be truly neutral than he can't always be good! You know that!"

Emma put her face into her hands. Apparently they were going to disagree on how to raise their child, already. She really didn't like arguing with Regina.

"Emma, you know I am reformed and that I won't kill anyone if I don't have to anymore, which is asking a lot for a demon, truly, because of our natural inclination towards the vile and repulsive. Which is why I'm saying I just want Henry to know how to protect himself." Regina lowered her voice, seeing Emma's distress and not wanting to put stress on the baby. She didn't mean to shout at her. Normally, Emma wasn't as sensitive but the hormones were making her argue over every little thing so far.

"I know what you mean," Emma sighed out. "I want Henry to be able to protect himself too, especially because he'll be so special and he might come across some dangerous foes. But...I just don't want that to be his first resort. I want him to fight without hurting others too badly."

"I know. If we raise him right, than he won't." Regina took a breath, uncertain. "Are you still worried about the prophecy?"

"In a way," Emma admitted. "I just don't want any harm coming to him because of it."

"And there won't be any with us as his parents. I can assure you."

Emma nodded her head but she still had so many worries about her impending mother hood filling her mind. She really could trust Regina.

The demon took good care of her. Almost too good. She hovered. And it treated Emma like she was made of delicate glass. It began to bother her because as time went by and Emma grew larger, Regina began to insist on doing everything for her. Even taking off her shoes when they came back from outside.

"Regina you need to stop," Emma insisted. "Don't baby me. I'm not going to break."

Regina looked confused at this, as if she couldn't understand why Emma was saying this. "Emma," she blinked her eyes to clear her vision. Like she needed to give Emma a double look. "I only want to take care of you."

"You're doing too much," Emma said, knowing she had to go about this delicately so as not to hurt Regina's feelings. "Allow me to do some things for myself. Okay? Otherwise I feel useless and like I'm not capable of doing anything."

"Of course. I didn't know that's how you felt. But I can't help want but to spoil you."

"You're working hard. You don't need to push yourself at home too."

"Emma, I've suffered worse than work strain. I can take care of you, our son, and Hell at the same time."

"I don't doubt your abilities, my queen of Hell," Emma said, leaning in to kiss Regina on the lips. She ran her hands over her black suits lapels. She found the title erotic as hell, no pun intended. In fact, Emma found a lot of things to be turns ons. Regina was always one, but lately everything was just erotic. It might be Emma's influx hormones yet again, throwing her out of wack and making her horny.

She found herself craving Regina's touch more than anything else and when she couldn't help it. When the longing got to be too bad, she used Regina's calling card to call her over so they could have sex. Regina would always be happy to come over. It meant spending time with Emma during boring and mind numbing ruling in Hell.

And the further on that Emma got in her pregnancy the more she called on Regina. The more she craved her. Regina always made sure to be careful because of the baby, and so she would carefully touch Emma. Which began to annoy Emma too. She wanted rough touches, fingers bruising skin and lips drawing blood.

"Fuck me hard," she breathed hard against Regina's lips as she kissed roughly, pushing her against the hallway wall.

"I don't want to hurt the baby-" Regina began to protest.

"I'll be fine. And so will the baby. I promise. I just need to feel you fucking me hard. I appreciate how you care, but this time, it won't be enough to satisfy me."

Something dark flashed in Regina's eyes. "As you wish, my angel," she said in a throaty voice and she went down on her knees, beginning to kiss her way up Emma's thighs. And that night if there were slight tremors going through the neighborhood, confusing the humans there, it had everything to do with Regina's and Emma's combined magic.


	4. Family Matters

* * *

_All the good girls go to hell_   
_'Cause even God herself has enemies_

_-All the good girls go to hell, Billie Eilish-_

* * *

A solid month had passed since Regina had taken the mantle of Hell. She had chipped away at the congestion happening with the influx of dead souls, so that was one huge issues off of her mind for now. The other big issue, was picking a council of seven. She had been vetting through possible candidates for weeks now. Every queen needed a council. Her mother's had been her children, but since Regina was about to just start having one, that wasn't going to be an option.

She would need to pick others and she was aware that mother had groomed her council so they were all pretty much yes men to her, thus, working with strangers could result in push back for Regina and her policies. But she needed a council. Every queen had to have one to help her preside over her matters. She just wished things would go by a bit more quickly.

She already had her seven demons picked more or less, she just needed to vet them and then have them on board. Madame Mim, was an older woman with gray hair that stuck up in every which way like she'd been electrocuted. While she oft mumbled random nonsense under her breath, she could turn into a dragon with her dark magics, which was as close as to Mal's replacement that Regina could get.

Cruella had come back and Regina readily gave her the position back. Cruella was a bit changed ever since her fight with Regina- no longer under the control of their overbearing mother, Cruella was kinder but not any less powerful than before and she would provide a good aid to Regina and a good example for the newer sins who would come to discuss rules and order.

Jafar was an eccentric man, with a taste for the dramatics and bad fashion. He held himself in high esteem and with good reason. He held a lot of might behind that snake headed staff of his which he used as a conduit to his magics.

Captain Hook was a peculiar man. He had an obsession with catching some boy named Peter Pan who had cost him his right hand. He wore a hook there instead, which Regina thought ridiculous because Hook could just grow back his hand if he so wished and yet he did not. Despite his asinine reasoning, he did have a lot of support from the water demon realms and he would prove useful for that reason.

Yzma was an old and thin woman with a voice that could drive anyone to tears and a hunger for power that left countless obliterated in her way. And Doctor Facilier was a mysterious and stoic man. He always wore a secretive smile on his face like he always knew something no one else did, and he had a penchant for talking to his shadow.

Yet, given the state of her realm, these were her top and only suitable picks but only time would prove if she'd made the right choice. It was just...frustrating how everything took so much time to complete. She wished she could just snap her fingers and have Hell be organized the way she'd liked. She'd like that so by the time her child was born, she'd have more time on her hands to spend with him and Emma.

But speaking of spending time with Emma, unfortunately the angel came attached with two other angels, both of which were pains in the neck. Which was why Regina had to get her kicks in any way she could, because they kept riding her ass about lots of small things.

"Mary and David wanted to see us this weekend but I said no," Emma stated as she made coffee for the both of them on a nice tepid Sunday morning. Black coffee for Regina, and nearly white for Emma. "They need to give us some space."

A perfectly evil plan rose in Regina's mind.

"No, invite your parents over," Regina's voice was saccharine and she wrapped her hands around her steaming hot mug. "I'd love to see them."

"Regina..." Emma started. "I know you only want to see them so you can rub it in their faces we got married and are having a kid."

"What? No," Regina waved it off with her hand. Emma did not look convinced. Damn, the angel had read her well. "Okay, so maybe a little bit," she conceded. "Fine, a lot. The only reason, actually," she confessed fully when Emma's glare had not wavered.

Emma shook her her head in amusement. "Fine," she conceded, "but only because I have to tell them eventually about this anyways. I can't keep avoiding them for all of eternity."

"We could if we wanted to," Regina suggested with a devilish brow hiked up.

Emma gave a half amused half admonishing smile. "Don't tempt me."

"But darling, that's my job," Regina purred, crooking a finger invitingly so that Emma could come straddle her lap. Emma set her and Regina's mug aside on the table stand as she leaned in closer to Regina, capturing her mouth in a rabid kiss.

Regina hummed happily into it, hands on Emma's hips holding her closer as they spent the rest of that morning properly demolishing that chair as a result of their voracious activities.

* * *

Emma's parents were invited formally and came over next weekend, some time later at night. They came down in twin pillars of bright beams of blue light which were ostentatious and drew much attention.

"I wouldn't suggest doing that," Regina said in way of greeting. "The neighborhood will think we've got aliens abducting us from our backyards."

"What are aliens?" David blinked in confusion and Regina rolled her eyes. "You must really come down to earth more. You've missed out on a great deal of fine human development." Her tone was thick with sarcasm on the human development part but David didn't catch it, actually contemplating studying the more contemporary culture.

"Emma, you can't keep putting off your father and I's requests to see you-" Mary's immediate rant upon arrival was cut off as she sucked in a huge breath. Her eyes bulged out comically and her face went white as a sheet. "Is that- Emma are you pregnant?! Out of wedlock?!" She looked pale as she took in Emma's stomach which was distended more than it should be for only one month of gestation.

"Actually, I'm married," Emma waved her hand with the ring as Regina smiled all too widely. She was deriving too much fun from this.

"You're married-and you- wait to Regina? And now a baby-?" Mary was so out of sorts, like she couldn't figure out which fact to focus on first, while David looked highly confused. "Who put that baby there?"

"I did," Regina smiled and Mary promptly fainted.

When Mary came to, Regina invited them cordially to the foyer, where Emma had tea and small sandwiches set out for them. Mary still looked shell shocked and she was whimpering and shivering in her seat as she tried to process this. David too, remained looking highly confused.

"So uh, you sure it's Regina's?" David kept questioning. Emma rolled her eyes. "Yes, dad. I'm sure."

"But she's a woman. And a demon. It shouldn't be possible."

"Interspecies reproduction hasn't been unheard of. It's simply rare. And the fact we're both women didn't stop our magic from making it a possibility. Truly, if you doubted my love and dedication for Emma before, this should prove now, more than ever that it is true. Because only true love's magic could produce a baby," Regina said smoothly.

David furrowed his brow. "But aren't you worried? You know about the tales of such babies-"

"We know, dad," Emma said, cutting his rant off. "But we hope that together, we can raise the child to be neutral."

He shrugged, not sure what else to say to this. "Uh, sure. I guess." He swirled the tea in his cup for lack of anything else to do in this awkward conversation.

"So, hows the repairs up in heaven going?" Regina offered a topic change, having derived enough pleasure from their shock.

"Good! Heavenly," he piped up, eager for the topic change.

Mary stayed quiet the rest of the evening as they discussed.

* * *

"Yes, right there. Oh, fuck," Regina moaned out as Emma's skillful tongue lashed at her clit, the angel's hands holding down the writhing hips but unable to hold down the hands that dug through her blonde locks, jerking painfully with each spike in pleasure.

Regina's lashes fluttered against her high cheekbones and her back arched as she came, all over Emma's face. Emma dutifully licked it all up, enjoying the taste as Regina was able to sink back into the sheets, body spent and chest heaving like she had run a marathon.

That had been intense. She still couldn't see clearly yet.

"Made your horns pop out again," Emma said playfully as she crawled up the rest of her wife's body, which was still recovering from it's tenth orgasm in a row.

"I have a feeling you love doing that," Regina commented in a slightly husky voice.

"Yea. It's kinda like a boner."

Regina snorted in amusement, not expecting this. "A _boner?"_ she repeated incredulously.

"Yea," Emma confirmed when she plopped down next to Regina, kissing her on the shoulder. "I know I've really made you come when you lose control and they pop out. So like boners. Cause you can't control them and its linked to sexual stuff." Emma shrugged, not sure if Regina got this.

"Ah," Regina vocalized as she threw a hand over her forehead, feeling the back of it brush the cool obsidian of her horns. "So, in theory, if I make your halo pop out, it would the same effect."

Emma frowned in thought. "I don't think I even have a halo."

"You should. All angels have one."

"But I haven't even seen my wings," Emma added on, pulling up the covers so the both of them could snuggle underneath. "I couldn't get them to show."

"I'm sure you'll find them eventually. You probably aren't used to it, so you don't know how to call upon them."

"Mary usually dropped me off of cliffs to have them show up but it never worked."

Regina's eyes opened wide at this and she turned in to face Emma. "She did _what?_"

"Drop me off cliffs." Said casually.

"Is she crazy?!"

"It's alright-"

"No, it's not," Regina said, her voice becoming flat and angry and possessive. With her horns on display, it made her look deliciously sinful. "She could have hurt you seriously if not-"

Emma silenced Regina with a kiss, suddenly raring to have Regina all over again. "Let's not argue when we could both be putting our mouths to better use."

Regina moaned in assent into Emma's mouth. "You are so insatiable lately. I know pregnancy hormones make women horny, but I think you've put them all to shame with how much-" Regina stopped here when she felt Emma's hand slip in between her thighs. "Fuck," she swore and Emma and her did just that.

* * *

During the day Emma found herself missing Regina. Even with the calling card, she tried to resist from calling it whenever she felt particularly lonely in their big house. Luckily, she had become close and fast friends with Archie and Michael and the three of them spent time either having lunch together or going to the movies.

When she couldn't be with them, she opted to go shopping or do some reading in the library. But one time, when she was heading over to their house for breakfast, she found them hastily trying to wash some paint off of their front door before she could see.

What she saw made her blood run cold.

Hate speech. Hate speech against her gay friends.

"Oh, Emma," Archie said stiffly, uncomfortable in her having seen this. "You're here early."

She hefted up the grocery bag she had in her hand. "I didn't want the milk to go bad. But that's beside the point. What the hell happened here?" she asked angrily.

"Uh," he looked dearly like he didn't want to tell her and looked helplessly to Michael who had his sleeves rolled up, hands all soapy as he scrubbed hard.

"Tell her. There's no use in hiding it," the man said gruffly, clearly upset with what had happened.

Archie assented. "Well, some...folks aren't entirely accepting of who we are and of our love-"

"No need to sugar coat it," Michael cut in harshly. "They're homophobes. And they want us out of this town."

Emma could feel herself about to shake with anger. But she held it in check. There was no way she was going to allow something like this to happen to her friends. Not as long as she held power inside her and could do something to stop it.

She plastered a thin smile onto her face. "Why don't you tell me what happened?"

"I'm sure you wouldn't want to hear it. It's nothing new," Archie hastily proclaimed.

"No, tell me. You're my friends and I want to help you."

"Emma, there's nothing you can do," Archie protested.

Emma shook her head, her curls bouncing. "I wouldn't be too sure about that. I used to do some crazy stuff when I was younger. And I know powerful people." She was married to the devil, after all. "Please, let me help you."

"I don't want you getting hurt! You have a baby on the way-"

"Archie," she reached over and held his hand, infusing some calm into him with a small spell. He relaxed visibly. "I promise it'll be okay."

"Alright," he agreed after a long period of silence.

Emma didn't want to bring Regina into this. The woman already had a lot on her plate going on. Instead, Emma was going to handle things herself. Surely, it wouldn't be too hard to take care of some low lives.

Inside, Archie filled Emma in on the history of the incidences, surely skimming over some of it so it wouldn't seem too bad. Emma was already planning on what she would do. Obviously she wouldn't kill them. But scaring them a little might make them reconsider doing things like this again.

Especially because it was a group of three families who were doing this. Three families of which Emma had seen around town and who had smiled and waved at her. But had they only been nice because they hadn't known Emma was gay?

Hmmm, Emma closed her eyes and considered. There was no point in being vigilant and watching over Archie's house but if Emma got them to target her house, then she could catch them in the act and scare them from ever doing something like this again.

She might not even have to scare all of them. Just one would be enough to teach a lesson.

And yet, she couldn't do it openly. If she revealed that she had powers that could start a witch hunt of another sort. Not that a good old memory wipe couldn't be produced, simply, Emma didn't want Regina finding out about this because she wouldn't want Emma to partake in something like this because of the baby.

Emma thanked Archie for telling her though he still looked like he wished he hadn't. "Don't worry about us, really. This isn't the first or last time."

"But it will be the last," Emma vowed and then helped them make pancakes for breakfast.

* * *

"Mom, do you really need to look aghast every time you come by to see me?" Emma asked dryly, because Mary looked ready to faint all over again, each time she saw Emma's rotund belly.

"It's just...a lot to take in," she said weakly and then limped over to the couch, David helping her sit down.

"Then maybe don't come around if you can't stand it," Regina suggested helpfully. It was the weekend, and it was becoming all too often that Emma's parents were coming around. Whatever reason for, she couldn't understand. Didn't they have heaven to repair?

Mary shot her a baleful look to which Regina shot one back. David cleared his throat awkwardly. "We're here for Emma. Not you."

"I happen to now be attached to Emma, so by extension I have to deal with you two," Regina retorted.

"If you're concerned about me, I'm fine," Emma stressed to her angelic parents.

"Are you sure?" David asked, not convinced. "I've read that carrying such a ba-"

Emma threw her hands up in the air. "Dad, I swear. I'm fine. Regina is taking excellent care of me and I want for nothing."

"But-"

"No! I don't wanna hear it anymore. Both of you are welcome to come see me, but not if you're going to bitch and moan at me and Regina," Emma shut them both up before slamming a tray of biscuits down aggressively. "Now, who wants cookies?"

"Also, I'd appreciate it if you could, I don't know, use a taxi to get here," Regina added as David reached for the food. "We've had reporters crawling through our backyard twice this week because of the strange lights."

"Right, aliens!" David remembered before smiling proudly. "I've been doing a bit of research on contemporary literature. Aliens do exist. It's utterly fascinating."

Regina stared at him dead on. "You're being serious," she mumbled out at last when she saw his face light up with an impending spiel.

"Yes," and then he launched into a whole rant on alien controversies. Regina just turned to Emma with a look on her face. "Doesn't he know the myth of aliens comes from angel sightings?" she whispered.

"Let him have this. It's funny," Emma whispered back, trying to hide her grin.

Regina just sighed heavily and sunk back further into her couch. This was her life now. Queen of hell, married to an angel, with the antichrist on the way, and two annoying in-laws. And yet, Regina couldn't find it in herself to hate any of it no matter how much she might gripe and moan about it, because she was no longer alone.

She was loved and could love.

And that made all the difference.


	5. Sub-purgatory

* * *

_Face like an angel but she's far from that/ she makes up her own rules, she never looks back/ she does as she pleases_

_Ellise, Lilith_

* * *

"I am royally pissed off that you gave my spot on the counsel to Madame Mim. She's a rip off of me. And her dragon form is abysmal," a stern child's voice spoke up and Regina looked up from her desk, where she had been sitting and reading over some hellish contracts.

It was a tastefully decorated office, all black marble with gold inlay, a mahogany desk, tall leather chair and a window with a direct view into a pit of fire. For a long moment Regina didn't recognize the intruder standing between her open doors. The first thought that came to mind was- "what happened to my guards?"

"I took care of them," the small child said casually, glancing down at her nails. The child looked to be no older than six, with blonde straight hair and dark gothic inspired clothing that didn't fit their delicate complexion.

Regina's eyes widened. "Mal!" she gasped out, rushing out of her desk and going to hug the small girl.

"Gross. I don't do affection," Mal said but made no effort to pull away.

"I thought I wouldn't see you for another century or so after you turned into your last form."

"I'm not that easy to get rid of," Mal said haughtily.

"Still, this is a nice surprise. You've gained back a lot of your power already."

"I know. It's a touch surprising," Mal confirmed coolly. "But not unwelcome. At least I won't have to wait around forever to regain my powers back and my place on the council," she added pointedly.

Regina let out an amused huff as she pulled away to give Mal space. "Your spot is guaranteed. I just can't put you on there until your ranking matches and qualifies."

"And those losers ranking qualifies them for the council? They look like jokes!" Mal scoffed mightily.

Regina was inclined to agree a bit on that. "Perhaps, but they're the best or worst Hell has to offer currently. We've lost a lot of powerful members."

"And most of them to you," Mal pointed out, helping herself to some whiskey that Regina had stored on a cabinet and pouring herself a full glass before sitting down and drinking it. It looked amusing to see a small Mal, drinking and looking so seriously.

"Yes, well, not because I chose to, but because I had to. For Emma. And now I'm queen and it's all quite terrible," Regina admitted with a weary sigh.

"A thousand demons would gladly take your place," Mal said, swirling the ice in her drink.

"And I'd let them have the position if I could trust them even for a second."

"I hope it was all worth it for that angel," Mal said flatly.

"We're...we're happy. We got married not so long ago and now we're going to have a child," Regina said with a barely concealed grin.

Mal nearly spat out her drink. "You are? How did that happen?"

"Magic. A bond of true love."

"Sickening."

"Truly, yes," Regina said not affronted at all. "But it's all been well. I can't complain."

"Since you didn't invite me to the wedding, you better invite me to the baby shower," Mal said and Regina remembered how fond Mal was of not being invited to places. Which is to say, not fond at all. Regina better damn well remember to invite Mal if she didn't want her child cursed.

"We don't even have a baby shower planned."

"Then you had better plan one," Mal cut in.

Regina sighed, for it was yet another thing she would have put into her busy schedule. "I suppose we could have one. The only issue is I don't know when the baby will be born. Emma's coming along quickly. More than normal."

"Just do it any time before the baby pops out."

"They'll be angels there. They'll want to come when they find out."

"I'm sure I can refrain from smiting some of them," Mal said.

Regina gave her a look.

"Don't look at me like that."

"Then don't ask me to invite you to a party we haven't decided on and then tell me you're going to hurt the guests."

"Regina," at this Mal stood up on the chair so she could pat the brunette's cheek condescendingly. "It was a joke. Where did your humor go?"

"The same place your height went," Regina shot back without missing a beat and this time Mal was the one not amused.

"I'll see you around," Mal said, hopping down from the chair and sauntering away. "Don't forget the invitation. It's the least you owe me for all I've done."

"And don't forget to drink some milk. I heard it helps with growth," Regina tacked on but Mal had already slammed the doors closed with magic and Regina wasn't sure she'd heard.

* * *

"I was thinking we should make Mal the godmother," Regina said suddenly one evening as the couple was winding down for the night. Emma was reading a book in bed, Regina reading the news next to her, a slightly concerned look on her face on the report of blue light sightings in the neighborhood. Regina had told those damned angels not to float down but to arrive in more mundane means. Now there was another minor problem to contend with.

"What?" Emma turned from her book, taking a moment to register Regina's words because she was so into the story. "Why?"

"Because she's still alive and it would be smarter to give her that position," Regina said quickly.

"Oh, well I'm glad she's alive. But I don't see why David can't be the godparent-"

"Trust me. Mal would be a perfect godparent. She's powerful- not yet- and can protect our child with no issue. And, if we refuse, she'll curse us all. And her curses are not to be toyed with."

"Did she threaten you to do this?" Emma asked, closing the book and really looking at Regina.

"No, she didn't," Regina said. "Not yet at least. But I'm trying to keep our child's best interests aligned. And we can always have one demon and one angel godparent. It would be fitting, actually, given his lineage."

"I suppose..." Emma trailed off. She wasn't really picky about this. As long as their son was safe. And Mal had sacrificed a lot of help Regina in the fight. Emma had thought Mal was done for. But clearly, demons were hard to get rid of.

Morning saw Regina hurrying off to work, faithful Sidney waiting for her outside and filling her in on any reports of things that might have occurred over the night. There had been an incident once where Regina had to hurry to work in the middle of the night and stop a mini war that had broken out between demons over land. It had not been fun and she'd taken out her wrath on them to show how displeased she was that they had awoken her.

There hadn't been another outbreak in a while since then, the scars she had left still not fully healed.

While Regina was off to work, Emma had her own work to figure out. The one with dealing with those rude neighbors who were bullying Archie and Michael. Emma had already scoped them out, using a bit of angel magic and good old internet stalking. While Emma had thought at first she would enact physical violence against them for their cruelty, or even set herself up as bait, she had quickly changed her mind.

She was an angel now, so why not use her 'good' to deploy a more wholesome method of dealing with them. A wide grin had spread over her face as the idea formed in her head. With a basket of cookies she had freshly baked, she set out to one of the first houses, belonging to the McKinnon's. She rang the doorbell and waited for them on the doorstep. She knew the wife would be inside since she didn't work. Only her husband did. And the kids would be at school.

"Oh, Emma. I wasn't expecting to see you," Lisa said as she opened the door. She looked like a typical WASP type and was so fake nice to everyone.

"I wasn't expecting myself either," Emma gave a fake chuckle. "But, I decided that since I've been in this neighborhood a while, I owed everyone some cookies." She held the basket out. "They're freshly baked and gluten free. I just want to give them out to everyone to make sure I've properly introduced myself to the neighbors."

"Well, why don't you come in for a bit and share these cookies with me? I can make the tea, or coffee."

"That would be nice," Emma said and went inside.

Lisa set about quickly boiling the water. "How many months is it?" Lisa asked, looking down at Emma's protruding belly.

"Oh, just two."

"Only two?" Lisa was shocked but hid the expression quickly for not wanting to be outwardly rude. "It must be a big baby," she commented as Emma set the cookies down and took them out. They were plated quickly and the smell was tantalizing. No mortal would be able to resist eating them for too long.

In fact, Lisa snatched one up right away and bit into it, humming at the gooey taste of it. Who said angel magic couldn't be used to make amazing cookies. "And the father? Where is he? I don't mean to pry but you're only living with your friend."

The cover story had been that Regina was the friend who had taken Emma in during her hard times while the father was away at the army. Emma was going to shatter that illusion.

"Oh, no. There is no father."

"In vitro?" Lisa blinked, not quite getting what Emma was hinting at.

"It was naturally conceived. By Regina."

Lisa blinked owlishly.

"She's the father, you could say."

"I don't...I don't think I understand," Lisa stated slowly, the cookie crumbling in her hand. The water behind her began to boil.

"You don't have to. But Regina and I are a couple. We're gay. Very gay," Emma leaned in over the counter as Lisa backed up, suddenly disgusted.

"How-how could-" but whatever she was going to say next choked her up. "How lovely," came out of her mouth instead, even as her face looked grim. She looked horrified by this. Perfect. Emma's cookies had worked the way they were meant to. That no hateful speech or action could be conducted by these bullies. Emma left a few cookies for the rest of the family, and then left Lisa there, panicking and drinking water from the sink to try and calm herself while her water boiled.

* * *

"How was your day today?" Regina asked, dropping a kiss to Emma's cheek as she teleported into the kitchen. She noticed the trays that lay abandoned. They had been used to make the cookies and Emma was just now cleaning them up. "I see you've been busy."

"I tried making cookies. They didn't work out so well. But I fixed you up a nice dinner," Emma said, indicating to where the table was set. "I figured you could use it. To try and ease off some stress form work."

"If only I could get rid of my stress that easily," Regina said with a light scoff. "But this is nice. Thank you."

"I was thinking maybe we could go on a date? We haven't had one in a while," Emma said as she sat down next to Regina.

"That would be nice. We could go to France. Or to Greece," Regina said pleasantly, already imagining just the two of them, getting up to naughty things. Her thoughts turned somber on something else. "I don't know if I have time. I need to finalize the council and it's going to be a long process."

"It's not like we need to book tickets or anything. It can be a last minute thing," Emma urged, because she needed to leave this place for a little bit. She had a feeling once the kid came, it would not be easy to have a break.

"I'll see what I can do," Regina offered. "But, we should also think of planning a baby shower soon. Have you given it any thought?"

After dealing out her cookies, Emma had still had enough time to go to look at baby shower décor. "I saw some nice stuff we can buy-"

"Or that I could conjure up," Regina input.

"But I don't know when to do it. Henry shouldn't be due for a while." She looked down lovingly at her belly. She stroked a hand over it, imagining she could feel him moving inside.

"Yes, but he's not like other normal babies. The way you look, he could come out sooner rather than later," Regina commented. "Do you think we'll be ready for when he comes?" suddenly she was worried, worried if she would be a good parent. She did not want to be anything like her mother.

Overbearing, violent, and manipulative.

"I think we'll do great," Emma assured, taking Regina's hand in hers. "You just better be there when I give birth, or else I'll scream bloody hell."

"I'll be there. And you can crush my hand all you'll like," Regina said, with a look of pure adoration on her face.

* * *

"What did you do to us?" Lisa hissed, the rest of the McKinnon's, the Clancy's and the Grifs minus the kids, there, standing on Emma's doorstep. Emma blinked the sleep from her eyes. She had barely woken up and they were all there, smiling because of the spell but no doubt seething on the inside.

"Well, good morning to you too," she said brightly, quickly catching her bearing. The air was chilly and it made goosebumps rise on her pj clad body.

"What the heck did you do!" Fred demanded to know.

"I did nothing, if that's what you're wondering about," Emma said, trying hard to keep her smile small. "You did this to yourselves."

"You're saying that all of a sudden we can't be- can't be," at this Lisa's husband, Nick, struggled to finish speaking because there was no nice way of labeling what he was referring to.

"Homophobes?" Emma arched her brow slowly, taking immense pleasure from this. She may be an angel, but there was a little devil inside her. (A lot of devil when Regina was inside her, but Emma digressed.)

Fred turned red. "Whatever your damned cookies did, turn it back!"

Emma studied her nails in boredom. It had taken them a week to figure this all out. Honestly, she had underestimated them. Or maybe she'd just done a bad job of making it not be obvious. But, she never was one for being underhanded or sneaky. That was Regina's field of expertise. "I can't do that. I don't want to hear your hateful speech. And I don't need you bullying anyone in this neighborhood for being different."

"Does your wife know about this?" Marcy asked, eye twitching on the word wife, for surely she wanted to use another one.

"Does her wife know what?" came a smooth voice behind them and Regina was standing there, by the gate, looking smooth and cool as sin. She had her suit on, a red so dark only a tint of the color could be seen before it resembled an abyss. Her suit jacket was undone, revealing a bright orange shirt underneath that was unbuttoned low. She had her hands in her pockets and while she looked calm, she was anything but.

She caught Emma's eye through the crowd on the step and Emma gave her a wry smile back. Shit, it looked like Regina had found out about this one way or another. She should have known. Emma wasn't good at being sneaky.

"Emma did something to us!" John, Marcy's husband, was quick to jump to. "We can't act like ourselves. She must have drugged us and that is illegal. We are going to take this to the police."

Regina's expression darkened. "I don't think so," she said coolly and Emma shivered because she could feel it. Feel Regina's powers roiling through the air, gathering like a snake ready to strike. The sky darkened rapidly overhead and the three families noticed this.

"What the hell is going on?" Lisa muttered, upset. And fearful.

Regina laughed at the use of that word. It was a sharp bark, missing all joy. "How funny you should use the word, hell. Because I'm about to show that if you don't fucking leave me and my wife alone."

"You're disgusting," John was able to twist out. Seems he hadn't eaten the cookie. "You and her are both sick-" he cut off, face turning blue before he suddenly keeled over, dropping onto the steps. The families were frozen, unable to even react for all the shock they were put into.

Emma was the one who spoke up. "Regina, I told you not to kill anyone!" She hadn't liked John, but he didn't deserve this!

"And I'm just supposed to stand here and allow him to insult us? To insult you, and call our love sick? I am a queen and I will not stand for this!" she bellowed out, eyes black with displeasure. "They do not get to do this to us, on our own property."

Suddenly it became very clear that Regina was something more than human. Lisa cowered as did the others. Marcy dropped to her knees, trying to shake her husband but he lay still. "John. John!"

Emma wished she knew how to bring others back to life, but she didn't know how. She should have expected Regina to take this sort of course of action. She was a demon after all. "We agreed it was only if we were in danger that you could kill others."

"You were in danger. I could feel their ill thoughts towards you. They intended to harm you and our child and I will not have that. Not after all we've been through," Regina growled out lowly.

"What are you?" Lisa gasped out, as Marcy began to sob over John's body.

Regina cocked her head, more than happy to address this. "You don't want to know."

"Don't hurt us. Please. We have children," Fred pleaded, holding onto his wife protectively. They were stuck between Emma and Regina, with no way to escape.

"I'm not the nice one in the relationship. If you want mercy, ask Emma," Regina stated.

They turned to Emma now, who rolled her eyes. "Regina, I could have handled them on my own. Now, they know!"

"They don't know anything, just yet. And I could make them forget they ever did."

"I was trying to teach them a lesson. On how to be more accepting of others," Emma explained, crossing her arms across her chest. "This isn't helping."

"I'm sorry for caring then," Regina snapped out sarcastically before shaking her head. "We don't need an audience while we fight." And with a snap of her fingers, she had removed them all and sent them somewhere.

Now it was just Emma and Regina in front of their house. "Emma, what were you thinking?"

"I thinking about doing something good, as a reflection of my angel namesake, and also helping out some of my friends. Is that so bad?"

"No, but it could have gone bad. You are lucky I was coming back home to have lunch with you, or else you could have gotten hurt," Regina lectured, coming up the stairs to Emma.

"I can handle myself. I have powers too," Emma stated firmly.

"But you're carrying our child. I don't want you exerting yourself or stressing out. Please," Regina added softly at the end. This had the opposite effect on Emma. "I swear, all you damn care about is this baby!"

Regina was shocked at this outburst. "Emma, that's not true. I care about you too-"

"Then if you did, you would let me do things, but you always treat me like I'm made of glass!" Emma pulled away and began to pace as she ranted. "I'm not going to break if you touch me a bit harder. I'm not going to collapse if you make me lift a bag full of groceries-"

Regina furrowed her brow, not understanding this at all. "You're mad at me for caring? For treating you like a queen?" she questioned.

"Yes!" bellowed out of Emma. She whirled on Regina angrily. "Just let me do things for once. I don't want to feel useless. You've already done so much for me. Like being torn to pieces, and I...I didn't do the same for you," she finished weakly.

Regina came up to her, grabbing her shoulders harshly. "Emma I don't want you to have to be in pain for my sake. I fought those demons because I am a demon and pain is all too common to me. I fought my mother because it was something I had to do to protect you and I hope you never have to be forced to do something like that for me. Seeing you hurt or torn to bits would not make me happy. If you say you love me, then your word is enough," Regina said quickly and honestly. "_You_ are enough. Don't ever feel bad for what I had to do to have you. Because I would do it all again, just to have this life we have."

"Okay," Emma said at last, meeting Regina's frantic eyes. Tentatively, she leaned in and kissed her wife. "But don't hurt the others. Let me handle them."

"If you wish," Regina mumbled into the kiss.

"Where did you send them?"

"To the middle of a gay club with no exit."

Emma chuckled a bit. "Maybe I can leave them there for a bit. They could use some eye opening experiences." She deepened the kiss, as lust began to erase her earlier anger. "Speaking of eye opening experiences, how about you give me one?"

"I'll give you ten," Regina said, backing Emma up into the wall none too gently.

"You better be rough," Emma huffed as Regina began to suck down her neck. "I love you being gentle; it's sweet and all. But I need to really, really, feel you. Make the whole world know that I'm yours."

Regina growled at that, a low rumbling sound that she could not contain. Her horns had popped out and behind her, lashed her tail. "That's new," Emma murmured, pleased her words had turned Regina on immensely.

The rest of the world would be less pleased when an unexplained earthquake tore through all of it, for several hours straight.


	6. Things get More Complicated

**The Monster that we Bred**

**Chapter Five: Things Begin to Grow More Complicated**

* * *

_I got a weakness, for a devil like you_

_-Gareth Durlop, Devil Like You-_

* * *

"Everything is going to be a mess!"

"Everything is going to be just fine."

"A mess! I'm not even dressed yet and the guests are coming in half an hour-"

"Emma, relax," Regina caught the blonde woman as she rushed by, a manic look in her eyes.

"Regina, how can I relax when I'm not ready! This baby shower is going to be a big deal. We're going to have demons and angels over at our house. I want everything to be perfect so no fights break out!" Emma exclaimed.

"Emma, take a breath," Regina instructed calmly. She would be amused by Emma's excess stress if it wasn't so worrying. Normally Emma was very chill. Not today, it would seem. The pregnancy hormones no doubt not helping out. "You're already perfect so everything will be as well. And if they start shit at my place, then I'll kick them out. I'm queen of hell. I am more than capable of doing so. And if I don't, you're Heaven's savior. You can do it yourself."

Emma took a long shuddering breath as her wife's words sunk in. "You're right," she said, evening out a bit. "I can kick their ass if they don't think the appetizers are up to standard."

"That's my wife," Regina smiled, that devilishly smirk of hers that always made shivers crawl up Emma's spine in a good way. Regina placed a kiss on Emma's forehead. "Now finish getting ready and I'll fend off the guests until you come down."

"Thank you," Emma sighed out, kissing Regina on the cheek in gratitude. The demon left, leaving Emma to finish getting ready. The blonde could hear doorbells going off downstairs and hoped it would all be okay.

When she came down she could see most of the guests were there. Sidney, bearing a huge gift and standing by Regina's side loyally. Mal, sipping on alcohol already. Mary and David standing stiffly away from the demons, both bearing presents. Belle and Graham were there too, conversing lightly. Granny stood a ways off, admiring the artwork Emma had bought for the house. And Michael and Archie were sitting on the couch, smiling, oblivious to the true company being kept.

"Aren't you a bit too young to be drinking?" Archie asked Mal politely.

She shut him a nasty glare. "And aren't you too young to die?" she retorted none too kindly.

Archie blanched at this and Regina gave an awkward laugh. "You'll have to excuse her. She's just bitter her body couldn't develop alongside her intellect. She has the mind of an older woman and the body of a child."

"Ah," Archie said dryly. "That must be rough."

"Don't pretend to sympathize," Mal snapped back.

He wasn't fazed by that. "I help people work out problems. Perhaps you'd like to discuss-"

"I'll discuss where my foot is going to be in a second if you don't-"

Regina put a heavy hand on Mal's shoulder, forcing her back into the chair. "Mal, it wouldn't be nice for the godmother of the child to be kicked out of the party."

"You made her the godmother and not me?!" Mary shot a hurt and betrayed look at Emma who had managed to come down the stairs just in time for this.

"We decided Henry should have one from both sides of the family, if you know what I mean," Emma said elusively for the sake of the mortals.

"Then shouldn't I be the one to be godmother?" Cruella asked, suddenly showing up in a plume of black and white smoke. Michael and Archie's eyes widened at this sudden appearance.

"How did she-"

"She's a magician," Regina waved it off easily, before addressing Cruella. "Mal is as much my family as you are."

"So why can't I be one? Why does the sniveling git get one? She's not even fully grown anymore. She's powerless. I could protect the child better," Cruella stated, rolling one shoulder and tapping the ash from her cigarette into a potted plant. Emma frowned. She'd raised those plants herself. How rude.

"You happen to forget, I rank higher than you, when I am at my full potential," Mal declared, getting up from her seat and glaring up at Mal. "Even so, I could take you now, as is."

"Fine by me," Cruella said nonchalantly, the air beginning to get hotter with their aura's flaring to life.

"Alright who wants a cucumber sandwich?" Emma grabbed a tray, trying to diffuse this fight before it could escalate. It did not work.

"You two are not fighting over this, right now," Regina said in a low voice, throwing around her status. "You are here, to celebrate Henry's arrival and that is all. If you do not like it, you can leave."

Both demons said nothing just turned around and stalked off. Cruella to smoke by the window while looking fashionable in her Dalmatian print dress and Mal to her booze.

Phew, that was over. Emma felt like she could breath a bit easier.

"But do you still intend me to make me the godmother?" Mary piped up and Emma nearly threw the tray into the air. Was this still going on?

* * *

Eventually, the food came out of the kitchen, thanks to Regina's demonic helpers coming up to cook, and with the food, the guests were able to focus on it and not on each other. For the most part.

"I didn't know they made angels as old as you," Mal stated and Emma shot a quick look at her human guests to see if they'd heard that. Thankfully, they were both talking to each other, wrapped up in conversation.

"When you get to be my age, child, nothing holds meaning. Least of all your insults," Granny responded with warmly.

Regina snorted in laughter at this, while Emma's jaw hung open. Okay, so Granny could bring the heat. Mal's cheeks turned a bright angry red and she would be spitting fire if she could.

"She just yeeted you," David chortled and Emma frowned at him.

"Dad, that's not how you use the word."

"Y'all just haters," he said and dabbed.

"He's spent some time studying contemporary language of the humans," Mary explained, patting the back of his hand.

"I love memes," David continued fondly. "They are so versatile and so artistic in capturing such specific human emotions."

"Please don't talk this way, ever again," Emma said deadpan.

"Okay, boomer." He gave the okay sign.

"That is not how-" Emma was cut off by Graham, who was trying to get everyone into high spirits. "So, how was everyone's day."

"I was able to torment some-" a swift kick under the table shut Sidney up from continuing. He gave his queen a look, before clearing his throat. "It was boring."

"Regina, you hear this?" Cruella scoffed. "He called working for you boring."

Sidney's eyes widened in horror. Immediately he jumped out of his chair and began bowing in front of the queen. "I am sorry, my queen. Working for you is not boring. I simply wanted to maintain a human front-"

"Sidney, stop this," Regina hissed and Emma couldn't recall Regina ever looking embarrassed before but she did now. Cheeks red and looking uncomfortable in her seat. "You are disturbing the meal and making a fool of yourself."

Michael and Archie were looking in concern at all of this. Emma set her lips in a firm line. How was she going to explain this to them?

Emma sighed and looked down at her meal. Was normal so much to ask for? Clearly, normal had been shot to hell a long time ago. Literally.

After the food was done, it was time to open the gifts that had been brought.

Cruella demanded hers be opened first because otherwise it would break the box. Emma smiled wanly and carefully opened the box, revealing some unfortunate creature inside that was dark as night and twice as scary.

"That's...an interesting breed of dog," Michael commented uncertainly, looking at the beast Cruella had pulled out. It was a Hell hound. A puppy Hell hound, with a blue ribbon adorning it's head. He would have been cute, if not for the gnarly teeth and the froth around his lips. And the red eyes.

"It's local to me. I created them specifically," Cruella commented.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Regina stated, eyeing the beast. She could all too well remember how it felt for it's teeth and claws to sink into her. Not fun.

"Why not? Hell hounds are loyal and they make powerful pets," Cruella stated, sniffing in disdain at their reaction. "Plus no child of yours should be left unarmed."

"Thank you, we'll raise this pup," Emma hurriedly interjected before another argument could spring up. She grabbed the pup and put it into another room before closing the door on it. Hopefully it would not wreck the room while it was there.

Mal was next. She had given an orb. A glowing green orb that seemed to be made of resin.

"What's this?" Regina asked.

"A ball for the boy to play with," Mal answered coolly.

A ghostly face appeared on the inside, howling in pain. Emma nearly dropped the hard ball in shock. "Why does it have the souls of the damned inside?" Regina asked wryly.

"They did me wrong so I figured they could be imprisoned there for eternity. Nothing can break the ball so Henry won't get hurt."

"Right, thank you," Emma said gingerly and placed the ball to the side. Another gift she was going to have get rid of.

Sidney's gift was more natural, for a demon. "I got him a human playset as per my orders." Sidney had fetched those play kitchens that little toddlers loved. Emma was sure Henry would love it. "Thank you," she told Sidney and he slithered off to the side so that the others could come up.

David and Mary gifted- "A sword?" Emma gasped out, holding the heavy steel. All the demons shied away from the holy blade, barely holding back from hissing at it in disdain. "This isn't a kid's toy!"

"Yes, but when he grows up, we want him to learn how to use it. And he can train with us," Mary explained. "No grandson of mine will be weak."

"Emma, can you put the sword away," Regina whispered out of the corner of her mouth, "before the demons flip."

"Right. Well, that's nice," Emma told her parents and put the sword away to the relief of all the demons.

"Yes, family bonding with sword fighting, like we did with you," David cheered. "And then Henry can be yeeting enemies from left to right."

Belle had given Henry a book. "This is a treasury of wonderful fairytales from all over the world," she explained softly. "It's been enchanted to come alive when it's opened."

Emma would have loved to open the book up and see that for herself but she didn't want Michael or Archie to be questioning any further the things happening in this house. She'd look at it later. "I appreciate this and reading Henry bed time stories from this will be nice."

Emma was surprised Belle had even come. Last she recalled the woman wasn't the friendliest towards her. But perhaps once earth had been saved Belle had seen how useful Emma was and taken a shine to her. "I hope good use is made of it," Belle answered.

Graham gave Henry a set of ceremonial daggers, which, Emma would have suspected from him since he was a weapons expert. They were very lovely blades, but nowhere near as powerful as the sword that David and Mary had given to Henry. No doubt it was one of those holy and blessed blades and there was a history behind it, but now was no place for talking about it.

Granny gave a knitted scarf and hat set to Henry. "I made this myself. As long as Henry wears it, no harm shall come to him."

Emma knew the set was made with magic and she appreciated that. Her son would end up being the most protected child on this planet by the end of tonight. "Thank you, Granny," she hugged the older entity to herself. "And thank you for coming."

"When I heard about your child, I just had to come. He's going to be very special and will need all the help he can get," Granny answered. That made Emma a tinge worried now. Did Granny foreseen terrible things to come? Her words, which had been spoken only months ago, rang in Emma's ears. _"We always do everything with the intention of it coming out good, but no one knows if the outcome will be so. After all, the road to hell is paved with good intentions."_

Would trouble be brewing on the horizon?

Granny, as if reading Emma's thoughts, shook her head gently. "Don't worry your head for now. Nothing good will come of nothing bad."

Michael and Archie were the last to have their presents opened. There's were the only normal gifts. Human toys that a boy might like. "We even included a doll, just in case he might like to play with those. You never know," Archie stated and Emma appreciated that.

Afterwards, they had dessert and then everyone went their separate ways to go home. Granny stayed behind to speak to Regina. "You must be a strong queen," she told her in that grandmotherly fashion of hers. "Sitting on a throne is never easy and not something to be relaxed from, even if you think everything is going smoothly. Be careful of snakes in the grass."

Regina did not look happy to hear this, but naturally, no straight answer would ever be given from Granny so she did not ask for further explanation from her. At long last, every guest had left, leaving Emma and Regina to do the cleaning up.

Their new Hell hound was now barking from behind the closed door, and Regina let him out. He seemed to be hungry because he lept at the left overs on the table and snarfed them down. "What are we going to do with some of these gifts?" Emma asked. "We can't let a Hell hound roam the streets."

"I can keep him in the vault until I figure out a glamour to turn him into a human dog."

"Can't you just snap your fingers and make it so?"

"Not really. He's a Hell hound. They're notoriously difficult creatures to deal with." There was a swirl of a portal and then the pet was gone. "Once I train him, I'll bring him back out."

With some angel magic, Emma cleaned up the whole house quite easily. Then, she and Regina were able to retire for the night. As they lay there in bed, looking up at the ceiling, they discussed what Granny had said to them. "Do you think she's warning us of bad things to come?" Emma voiced, afraid that their family would have to go through strife in order for everything to be okay once more.

"I don't know. But what I do know is that things will never be entirely easy for us. Not given our relationship or what we had to go through in order to get here," Regina answered. "But that doesn't mean I won't fight tooth and nail to protect us."

"I'll fight too. I don't want you taking the burden of it all. It's not fair," Emma stated. She felt a kick in her tummy at this and instantly pulled Regina's hand onto her belly. "It's Henry. He's kicking." And indeed he was.

Regina smiled as she felt his kicks. They were powerful. "He's been getting feisty."

"I think he wants to leave soon," Emma joked. She did look about seven months along now and no doubt Henry would be coming out soon. "You better be there for his birth, I don't care who you have to destroy to get there."

"I wouldn't miss it for all the souls of the damned," Regina assured. She pulled Emma closer to her and gave her a sound kiss on the lips.

As it turned out, sooner rather than later, Henry was coming out. It was in the middle of doing laundry that Emma felt the tell tale signs of going into labor. "Oh shit," she gasped out in pain as she doubled over, her water breaking. She fumbled for Regina's calling card that was in her pocket and used it. In a swirl of black smoke, Regina was there.

"Emma, what's wrong?" she noticed Emma bent over, holding onto the washing machine with a white knuckled grip.

"It's Henry. He's coming."

"Quick, to the hospital," Regina urged and grabbed a hold of Emma, poofing the both of them away in purple smoke.

* * *

The labor lasted five hours, frazzling the human machinery that had the humans scratching their heads in worry. Emma crushed Regina's hand during it. Literally crushed it. Regina to repair her bones several times through out, but she did this without complaint. Mary and David showed up at some point too, exhuming some sort of angel magic that allowed Emma's pain to lower. Regina would have done that if she could heal with her magic properly.

That was the partial reason why she didn't kick them out for arriving. And by the end of it, Emma was holding a beautiful baby boy in her arms. He was sleeping peacefully and he had a tuft of Regina's dark hair on his head already. "He's so precious," Emma breathed out in wonder as she stared down at him. She already loved him with all of her heart.

"He's going to be strong. I can tell," Mary cooed, itching to get her hands on her grandson but Emma was not parting with her child right now.

"He has that Charming nose. He's going to woo everyone," David commented.

Regina too was looking at her son, such joy on her face she didn't know what to do with herself. "Don't cry," Emma told her and Regina shook her head. "I am not crying. Demons don't cry," she said, wiping away a stray tear covertly. Since when had she become such a sap?

Finally, their family was complete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Going to be updating this on the first of every month now until I have more time to get back on schedule to once a week.


	7. History Beckons

* * *

_Save me from my personal hell (yeah, yeah)_

_Break me, break me out of myself (yeah, yeah)_

_-Personal Hell, Kim Petras_

* * *

"Did you hear?" a shrill voice asked, thick with British tones. "Their little brat was born."

"I heard very well," replied the woman, setting down her book which she was getting constantly interrupted from reading.

"They are sharing a joy you should have with your love. And yet, the angels took him away."

"You do not need to keep rubbing Emma's and Regina's happiness in my face. My resolution has not wavered. I will carry through with my revenge," they hissed steely.

"A revenge long over due, as is mine and mother's."

"Shouldn't you focus on resurrecting Cora, instead of pestering me?" the woman snapped back sharply.

"Cora is all but ready. And when she is, will you? Be ready to serve her?"

"As long as she seeks to help me further my own goals, than I shall be dutiful to her," was the answer. "Do not worry of my loyalty. I have but wanted the same thing for centuries and my desires have not change since then."

"Good, because there's something we may ask you to do..." the demon trailed off.

* * *

"Why won't he stop crying?!" Emma fretted, rocking Henry to get him to calm down.

"I don't know!" Regina threw her hands up helplessly. Both of them were frazzled and in their pjs, hair sticking up because they hadn't been able to sleep for hours now. "Did you feed him?"

"Yes!"

"Change his diaper?"

"Yes!" Emma said with increasing frustration.

"Then what the bloody hell do babies need more?"

"I don't know!"

Red light flickered outside their window and Regina went to it, thinking it might be the cops. Henry's wailing was loud. Almost like it was attached to a megaphone. But no, it wasn't the cops outside. Regina wished it had been, because the alternative was worse. "It's raining fire from the sky!" she exclaimed as drops of fire rained down onto the suburban street.

"What does that have to do with Henry?" Emma screamed over his cries.

"I think he's causing it. Because he's upset!" Regina pointed out. The fires had started when Henry's crying had gotten worse. "Wait here, I need to go put them out or else it'll draw unwanted attention to us." Regina poofed outside, leaving Emma alone with the baby.

"Thanks for your help!" she shot back angrily to the air. She patted Henry on the back and he let out the biggest belch Emma had ever heard. All of a sudden his crying stopped and he began to gurgle happily. The fires outside stopped. Regina poofed back in. "What was wrong?"

"He was just gassy," Emma said, holding him to her and looking down at him. "What was that for? Don't cry next time you're gassy," she said in baby speak to him.

Regina let out a sigh of relief. "Sleep, finally," and she threw herself face first into the bed while Emma went to lull Henry back to sleep.

The lack of sleep made Regina cranky the next morning and she continually snapped at the people working in her office. "What happened to you? Normally you're not this crabby," Cruella stated when Regina smited Mim on the spot for speaking out of turn during the council meeting.

"Try getting one hour of sleep and then we'll see how you feel," Regina grumbled.

"Ah, I take it the little sprout is a lot to handle," Hook commented.

"Stay out of this Hook, unless you want to be known as Hooks," Regina snapped at him and he shied away from her fiery gaze.

Having a child was a lot of responsibility. Regina had known and yet she still wasn't prepared. What made it harder was that Henry had powers. So whenever he was in too sharp of a mood it affected the world around them. People were going to start noticing and asking questions. Regina couldn't have that. She would need to find a way to temper his powers until he was a bit older.

Surprisingly, Mary had offered to baby sit their child. Which would be amazing, actually. Normally, Regina wouldn't trust the angels to take care of her son, but it had been three months of sleepless nights and there was only so much she and Emma could take.

Granted, Henry was maturing quickly too. Already he was nearly a year old and Emma had been worried about this. "What if he keeps aging up like this? What if he's 80 by the time I'm thirty?"

"That's not how it works. He'll mature into an adult quickly and then be that age for several centuries."

"That didn't happen with me. I grew up normally," Emma fretted.

"Yes, but he's also part demon. Demons don't remain as children because they're more vulnerable that way. We age up quickly. I was only a child for three years. Henry, because he's got your angel genes will probably have more of a childhood than I did. He's progressing rapidly by your standards but at a slower pace compared to when I did," Regina had explained. At least, she figured this was the case. No one had set a precedent like theirs before and so there were a lot of things they didn't know about Henry and his mismatch of genes.

But, with Mary babysitting Henry, Emma and Regina could afford to go on a date.

A date in which they rented out a hotel room and literally slept in the bed, too tired to do anything else. When they woke, rested finally eight hours later, they went back to their house and saw that it was a husk of it's self.

Immediately, Emma rushed forwards recklessly, worried for Henry and her mother.

"Emma slow down!" Regina called out after her, worried that an enemy might be lying in wait for them there. She nearly stumbled over a broken brick wall in order to get to her wife.

"Mom, what happened here?" Emma cried out in shock when she found her mother, sooty faced and in shock, holding a smiling Henry and sitting on the couch.

"Uh, it seems Henry had some gas. Some really bad gas," she explained, shaking her head to clear her thoughts.

"Henry caused this to happen?" Emma indicated to the sad state of their house.

"It was all quite so sudden. He was crying and I was trying to relieve his gas and then this happened," Mary explained, standing up and handing Henry over to Emma.

"As long as it wasn't anyone attacking us," Regina murmured, waving her hand and restoring the house. It was like a magic brush swept over the scene, bringing back color to the place. Within seconds, everything was back to how it should have been. Hopefully none of the neighbors had noticed. Regina would have to make sure to make a memory wipe of the place, just in case. And yet again. She had been doing those a lot frequently.

"Thank you for taking care of him," Emma told her mother.

"It's no problem, Emma. And whenever you want to bring him to Heaven is alright with me," Mary said.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Regina told her. "He's an anti-christ. He won't be well received there."

"I won't let any harm come to him, if that's what is worrying you," Mary said.

"No. He's not going there and that's final," Regina said, using her no nonsense tone of voice.

"Regina..." Emma turned to her, shocked by this behavior.

"You don't understand, Emma," Regina gave her wife a look that pleaded with her to be understanding. "We don't know if bringing him up there might cause harm to the angels."

"Henry would never do such a thing!" Emma gasped, offended and cradling Henry to her protectively.

"He wouldn't, but his identity, who he is, might trigger ancient magics and I don't want him caught up in something he shouldn't be."

"What are you not telling us, demon?" Mary edged in, suddenly looking at Regina with a dangerous look in her eyes. Her hands were on her hips, but they looked like they'd just as soon draw out her weapon and aim it at the demon.

"Nothing that you don't already know, angel," Regina spat derisively. "Or are you really that naive that you thought bringing Henry up there would not result in consequences."

"He is my grandson. And as such, I give him permission to visit Heaven. With my sanction, nothing should happen."

"Should, being the key word. But what if your sanction is not enough? Henry could become hurt-"

"Both of you, enough!" Emma demanded, silencing their rant. "I want to know what this is all about. In detail. And with no lies." She glared at her mother and Regina equally.

Mary and Regina exchanged looks, before Mary spoke up. "Emma, given Henry's nature, there is a risk when he visits Heaven he could cause the destruction of it. There is also a risk that Heaven's defenses could destroy him before he steps foot inside."

Emma blanched at this. Both sounded horrible! She tugged Henry closer to her.

"But, I think that with my blessing that shouldn't be an issue. Henry isn't old enough to attack Heaven, nor should he given that you're raising him. And if my magic is protecting him, he won't get hurt by the barrier."

"It's not a hundred percent assured," Regina interjected. "The barriers on Heaven could very well destroy him, even with your blessing, because he is still so young."

"Henry is not going to Heaven," Emma gasped out.

Mary was suddenly offended. "You don't trust me?"

"I do. It's the barriers I don't trust!"

"Oh, but him going to hell is alright?" Mary pointed out.

"No body is taking Henry to hell," Regina cut in sharply. "He stays here, in this human realm and that is it."

Now Mary was surprised a bit. "You're not taking him to hell?"

"Why would I?" Regina grit out, annoyed at the angel now for daring to assume things. "Hell is dangerous and no place for a child such as Henry. Too many who would want to use him to their advantage."

"Henry stays here. Home with us," Emma stated firmly and with finality. "When he's older, maybe he can visit other realms. But I'd rather not risk it now."

"Alright," Mary said with a soft sigh.

* * *

"I got us a pet," Regina announced when she came in after work let out.

"Is it the hell hound?" Emma asked, not looking up from the stove where she was cooking dinner. Henry was playing on his Ipod, laughing at something silly on the screen.

"No, I still haven't had time to tame it. I got something better," Regina held out the gray tabby cat in her hands.

"A cat?" Emma arched a brow, not impressed.

"Long time no see, Emma," said the cat and Emma nearly dropped her pan. "It talks?"

"It's Neal."

It took a while for Emma to recall and then- "Why is Neal in a cat's body?"

"Because I put his soul there and told him if he wanted to repent from hell, he would act as the family pet and watch over Henry when we can't," Regina explained.

"And he's okay with this? And so are you?" Emma narrowed her eyes, not trusting Neal at all.

"Neal isn't the worst out there. He's an asshole, surely. But, less torment is always a good motivation for doing good deeds," Regina set the cat down and he licked himself.

"I know we have bad blood, Emma, but I'm hoping to put that behind us," Neal stated, giving her a look that was meant to be cute. She was not easily swayed.

She crouched down to be eye level with him. "If you step a furry paw out of line, I'll obliterate you myself."

"Clear," he meowed, his back fur bristling.

* * *

Getting adjusted to having her ex-boyfriend turned cat in her house, was awkward for Emma. Regina didn't seem to be bothered, and neither was Henry, since he was but a baby who enjoyed pulling on the screeching cat's tail. But Emma, well, she had history with that cat. A history she tried to clarify with Neal.

"Why me?" she asked when she had put Henry to sleep and Regina was off in the basement, doing who knows what.

"It was because you had a lot of power. I needed it to keep my contract going. It wasn't anything personal," Neal answered, sitting on the counter and watching Emma pour milk into her coffee.

"For me it was personal. You crushed my heart, Neal."

"And yet here you are, living it up with Regina," he meowed, licking a paw over his head and brushing it back. "Besides, you killed me. I should be the one that was offended."

"I only killed you because you tried to kill me. And it was an accident!" Emma stated defensively. "I don't intentionally hurt others if I can help it." She still recalled the time in the enchanted forest where she and Regina had slaughtered fairytale creatures, only for them to come back alive.

Before they could continue, the patter of tiny footsteps stopped their conversation.

"Henry, what are you doing. It's late, you need to go to bed," Emma said, bending down to pick him up.

"Kill, kill!" he warbled and Emma looked at him with wide eyes.

"Henry- is that- Henry you said your first word!" Emma raced to the door of the basement, calling for Regina. "Regina, get up here, our son just said his first word!"

Regina poofed up the stairs, reforming at the top. "What did he say?" Excitement was writ plainly on her face.

"Kill, kill!" Henry repeated, smiling as he said it.

"Aw, what a great first word," Regina said, taking him from Emma's arms. She kissed the top of his head. "I was worried it'd be something soft like hug or kiss."

Neal had followed them over and he rolled his eyes at their exuberance over what Henry had said. It wasn't even a big deal. He'd never understand parents.

* * *

It was hard to believe that it had been a year since Emma and Regina had moved into their suburban home, since Emma had been married to Regina, and since Regina had ascended to the throne. Hell was finally being pieced back to together; Regina had organized more or less the chaos there along with her council.

Her council, who half of them she thought were idiots on a good day, but imbeciles on a bad day. Still, they were the most powerful demons that were offered and she had to stick it out with them, before she found a better council.

Right now, she and the council were discussing a turn of events that was unpleasant.

"The lower level demons are gearing up for war," Mim announced as they sat around a huge dark wood table, each chair they sat on was individualized to them, with Regina's having the tallest back as she was the head demon in charge.

She leaned on the one arm of it, hand over her mouth as she listened to the reports.

"Why is this?" Cruella asked.

"Do they really need an accurate reason," Hook said, "they're rabble. The lowest of the low. If they think they can hurt any of us in the city of the Damned, then they are wrong."

"It would be best if we took them down before they could strike us," Jafar stated. "I can have my minions look into it, find who their leaders are and take them out before we swoop in for the kill."

"Why not take them straight out? Roll in there with our firepower and blow them to smitherins!" Yzma shrilled in excitement.

Regina raised her hand, indicating they should stop speaking for she was going to speak. "I think a more subtle approach would be wise for now. Jafar and Facilier, use your minions to sneak around and find out everything you can about the situation. The lower demons may have their numbers but we have more power. Mim and Cruella, I want you setting up defenses around the city that would obliterate the numbers. Yzma and Hook, I want you finding ways, outside of the city walls, to reduce the amount of demons that can pass. As for me, I will formulate a strategy we can use."

With that, the council was dismissed, each off to do their own thing.

Regina retired to her office, pouring over maps, when a knock came on her door.

"Come in," she ordered and the doors opened to omit a worker of hers.

One of her demons that reported to her, knelt in front of Regina as she sat on her throne. "My queen. I have word."

She arched a brow. This couldn't be good. "Word of what?"

"Your sister. The wicked witch of Oz, was spotted."

Regina's blood ran cold. "Are you certain?" she asked, voice almost wavering. Not that she was afraid of Zelena. That demon was weak. A joke. Regina was simply worried that Zelena could target Emma. And how the hell was Zelena still alive? Regina had seen her demise.

"Yes," he said somberly.

"You are dismissed," she waved him off, needing some time to herself. He left her in her office room alone, with worried thoughts of the future.

If her sister was around, she would only want one thing: revenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This is where things get complicated- Zelena is making moves, but what can it mean for the family?


	8. No Where to Run To

* * *

_They told me you a killer, a killer_   
_I saw your collection of hearts and I shoulda known better, better_

_-Valiere, Killer-_

* * *

"Just the demon I was looking for," Zelena drawled, strutting up closer to a man with dark hair who was sitting and staring at a rock in a deep pit in hell.

"And who are you?" he asked callously.

"Your new friend," she stated jovially, though it was for show.

"I don't need friends. I already always have a constant companion."

"Ah, Jekyll, correct?" she questioned, though she knew the answer already, otherwise she would not be here.

"He's the more reasonable of the two, so whatever it is you have come to say, say it and be on your way least I lose my temper," he stated, not bothering to look at her. He was still staring at the rock.

"Isn't it sad," she drawled, coming up close behind him. Close enough she could reach out and touch him. "How you've been locked up in this pit, solely because of your powers?"

"Your point is?" he growled out, losing patience. "Your mother was the one who put me here."

"Yes, well I intend you let you out."

Her declaration did not phase him. "How? You are not the queen of hell."

"No, but shortly I will be."

He turned to her, amusement glittering in his coal black eyes. "You? Queen of hell?" he gave an unkind chuckle. "The earth will expire before you see the throne."

Now she was the angry one. She strode up to him, got right in his face, nose to nose, eye to eye. "I will make it happen. Mark my words. I will make many things happen and once I have ascending, wrenching the throne form my undeserving sister's hands, where will you be? Standing with me, or against me?"

He curled up his lip. "I don't know. What do you have planned for me?"

She leaned back, giving him some space. She reached into her pocket and produced some brown strands of hair.

"I didn't realize I was balding and needed some hair," he surmised wryly.

"Don't be daft," she growled out. "This is the queen's hair."

"How'd you get it from her. I don't suppose she let you trim some pieces off," he questioned.

"I have people who can do it for me," Zelena answered confidently. "Now, I know about your abilities. Do what you must with this."

He took the hairs, looking them over. "This isn't a lot to go by-"

"But you'll do it. Because I'll reward you handsomely, and come my reign as queen, I will free you both."

He mulled this over, before tucking the hairs away. "I'll see what I can do."

"That you do, Hyde," and then she was gone in a plume of orange smoke.

Hyde turned back to staring at his rock in his eternal prison, but this time, he was thinking over the task he was to complete.

* * *

The city of the damned was a mess. Not as big of a mess as it could have been, but a mess, considering the lesser demons had managed to break in. What they lacked in power, they made up for with sheer magnitude of their numbers.

Despite all the traps surrounding the city, they had not been enough to eradicate them all, and now the council and Regina were scrambling to thwart what was left of them. The councils powers blazed through the city, destroying it and anything in the way with no discrimination.

There was a splash of blood on her suit and a tear in her pants leg, but other than that, she was merely wiping away the demons that jumped at her. To be honest, it wasn't happening as easily as it should, what with her queenly status. Her powers...felt limited. But she didn't have much time to think this over because if she stopped to think she would be overwhelmed by swarms of small nasty demons.

She just sighed and blasted a crowd of twenty away with one finger. She wished that she could be home already, with Emma. But this campaign was taking a while and it could be days before she came back home to her family. She kept her family in mind, and her desire to see them, fueled her energy and kept her going.

* * *

With Regina away on council business, Emma had nothing to do but to take care of Henry. The boy was growing older and older at such an inhuman pace. Emma couldn't take him out in fear that people would notice and start to ask questions. So, she stayed home with him. But when she had to go out, she called on Mary to come babysit him, or used Neal when Mary was busy.

Though she didn't entirely trust the cat. There was too much bad blood between them.

The council business stretched out for a longer time than Regina had said it would. The woman would pop in sometimes during lunch time or in the afternoon. She acted a bit off, lost in her own mind, texting away on her phone, or saying something that could be taken as rude to Emma.

Emma figured this had something to do with the war which had Regina stressed out, so Emma let these behaviors slide for now. But once the war stopped, she'd be having a word with Regina about this sort of behavior. Because it was not acceptable.

Not responding to most of it, Emma decided to go out and do some errands to keep her mind off of the dangers happening below her very feet.

One day, when Emma was coming out of the supermarket with hands full of groceries, she noticed something sketchy going on. Two boys were standing on the corner of the street, looking a bit jittery. They couldn't look older than their teens. An older man was approaching them, looking nervous and twitchy. They quickly passed a bag to him of something.

What was going on? Emma got bad vibes from that. Whatever it was, she wanted it gone from her town. She wanted this place safe for Henry, which meant she was going to have to scope out what this was and put a stop to it.

Using her angelic ability, she teleported her groceries home and cast an invisibility spell on herself. Then, she followed the two boys silently, as they headed down the roads. They went through the small town, making light conversation about having to make some more deliveries.

Hm. Deliveries of what?

Eventually they went to the side of the road, waiting until a car picked them up. Emma didn't go inside but she jumped onto the back of the pick up truck, sitting there until the truck drove past the town and out into the outskirts to a seedy looking bar. One that had been recently bought out, because Emma recalled this place being out of business for a while now.

She followed the boys in, and while they went to go talk to someone, Emma took this time to explore the whole bar. It functionally looked like a bar on the first floor. It had a bar, some sports playing on the TV and terrible music blasting over the speakers. She took the staircase down and found the dank cellar filled with boxes and boxes. She popped a few open and saw there were bottles inside. Nothing suspect yet.

She went around, tapping on the walls. Maybe there was a secret room or something here. Her efforts paid off. There was an echoing sound indicating there was a hollow wall and she played around with the seams of it before she popped it open and slipped inside. It was darker and cooler here and she went down the rickety stairs by touch. She could make out voices at the bottom and when she got there, there was a faint light coming from around the corner.

She headed in that direction. The whole corner there was filled with shelves that had product on it. Product that looked like meth. And in the middle, with five men working it, was a lab set, beakers bubbling as more meth was cooked.

Oh no. This would not do.

Emma couldn't have a drug issue in her neighborhood where she wanted Henry to be safe.

She had to do something about this. She wasn't going to ask Regina for help because she didn't want to involve her. Her temper would fly if she saw this. No, Emma would handle this on her own. She was no longer carrying Henry so she didn't have to worry too much about what would happen.

The only question was...how could she get rid of all this? How could she scare them away?

She eyed the flames under the beakers. That could be one way. It would put them out of commission for a while. And if they dared to come back, then she could utilize a different strategy to get rid of them.

She snapped her index and thumb and the flames under all the beakers erupted, smashing the beakers and consuming the tables. Holy flames.

Emma had learned about them while studying with Belle and while training with Graham. But she had never actually used them herself. She only knew of them in theory. Holy flames could not be doused out in regular means and they cleansed the sin out of anything they touched. They weren't dangerous to humans. They would be painful as they cleansed the sin out of them but other than that, these humans would be alright.

The flames jumped up and spread, quickly consuming the whole lab. Some men ran out, screaming as the holy flames ate at their darkest moments, sucking the evil out of them. The meth too, is gone.

"Sullivan is gonna have our heads for this!" screamed out one man as he tried to spray the flames. But they would not go out, not until Emma willed them too. So they spread, going everywhere. Emma kept pace, unable to be hurt by the flames for she was an angel. And the caster of these flames. She lead them through the secret door and to the booze and up the stairs to the bar.

The bartenders eyes went wide when he saw them. "Oh shit," he swore and rushed to get out. Emma joined him outside, watching as the bar was purified. Several other men, and those two boys, stumbled out, all watching as the bar was wrecked, all their product being destroyed. One man, with thick jet black hair and a long scar down his face glowered angrily at what happened. He turned to this workers. This must be Sullivan.

"Which one of yous did this? Who ruined everything?" he screamed.

"The beakers just erupted boss!" explained one frightened man.

"Bullshit! They don't do that!" Sullivan shot back and Emma was getting tired of his voice. It was grating on her nerves. She snapped her fingers and performed another of her angel 'miracles'. She took his voice away.

He was speaking but nothing was coming out of his mouth. His hands went to his throat as he started panicking. "Boss, what's wrong?" asked one of the boys and the workers all looked at each other, not sure what to do. Emma figured she'd had enough fun for now. This should keep them away from her town for a little while. Then, still invisible, she teleported back to her street block, removing the spell.

Her limbs came back first, like someone was coloring them in and filling them in. She clenched her hands, happy to see them. And then the rest of her arrived. Emma was just coming up the front stoop from her successful mission when she saw some motion in the windows of her house.

Was that...what was that? Emma's heart began to beat harder. She could make out Regina in the front window and was that the back of another girl...? Fury filled Emma and she raced into the house, raring for a fight, for an explanation. Was this why Regina had been off this whole time? Because she'd been cheating on her!?

Sour bile sat in Emma's throat. How...how could this happen?

She barged into the foyer and found it was empty save for Regina, who was doing up her clothes. "Don't bang the door open like that," Regina lectured, without looking up at Emma. "You'll ruin the wall."

"Where is she?" Emma shrilled out, starting to look for the woman behind the couches, under them, in the closet, but nothing. She wasn't there. She had just gone up into thin air. Emma turned on Regina. "Where is _she_?" she demanded, chest heaving in anger.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Regina said coolly and dismissively as she buttoned up her suit jacket and left, leaving Emma with nothing but a swirl of purple smoke to be mad at.

* * *

The war dragged on for a week and a half but there had been no causalities on Regina's side. Which it should be as, because her council was too powerful to be taken down by some minor assholes. "I noticed you didn't use the full force of your powers," Yzma's slimy voice mentioned as her weathered face split into an unsettling grin.

Regina didn't bat an eye at this. "They don't deserve my full powers. Maybe when they come back with a real challenge," she stated with asperity, reminding Yzma to remember her place- that below Regina's heel.

The woman bowed her head and scurried off. There would be clean up to be done, but Regina was drained and she missed her family dearly. She had not had a moment to go home in ages, barely finding time to even refuel her energies with a quick snack. Clean up could wait. Home was more important. She couldn't wait to see Emma's and Henry's happy and lovely faces when she came back. Just thinking of seeing them soothed her aches and made her feel less tired than she was. She instructed her council to do some cleaning and reconstructing of the city while she was gone and then she teleported away.

"Emma, I'm home," Regina said as she pushed the door open. If she had been expecting a kiss on the cheek she was sorely disappointed.

Emma stormed down the hall to her, fury in her eyes. Regina only had time to gulp before the fight started.

"Nice to know you're cheating on me with some demon whore!" Emma cried out, throwing the underwear at Regina. She had found it under their bed. It wasn't Emma's. She didn't wear this design. And neither was it Regina's. The woman only wore black or red. The demon picked the green underwear up, staring at it in confusion. "Emma, what are you talking about?"

"You're cheating on me!" Emma screamed out, close to tears and chest burning with an irrepressible rage.

Regina was tired and hurting from the war. She didn't have time to deal with Emma's antics. "Emma, I was at fucking war with demons, trying to quell their invasion. I was there, the whole day, the whole time. I wouldn't have time for an affair, nor would I want one, when I have you."

"Quit lying!" Emma screamed. "You came home today at lunch time, thinking I was out. I saw you, through the windows with some other woman!"

Regina shook her head. "Emma, you must be hallucinating. I told you I was at war! My council can vouch for me! You are being ridiculous. Are you sure you weren't cursed or something?"

"Oh, so I'm cursed, because I saw all that?" Emma grit out, fuming still. "I must be making it up?!"

"Emma, I don't know how else to convince you it wasn't me. And if you don't excuse me, I'm tired. My body is sore and aching from the war. I need to rest." And she brushed past Emma to go to their bedroom. She found Neal there, on the windowsill. "She's right, you know," he told Regina.

"Oh, not you fucking too," Regina groaned out, stripping out of her suit and wincing at her sore muscles. She hadn't fought in a while and she wasn't used to it. Not when each time she entered a fight, it flashed back to the time she fought the council, fought her mother, and barely made it out.

Would that always haunt her behind closed eyes?

And her current powers had diminished too. She couldn't call upon the abilities she would like. She wondered, what was causing this?

"You were here. In this house. With a human girl. Cheating," Neal padded towards Regina who had frozen.

Her jaw hung slack. "Neal, I would never-"

"Not you, maybe. You see, humans, no matter their powers, miss the sense of being able to read others the way animals do. Regina, it may be you, but it's not at the same time."

"What do you mean?" Regina stared down the cat.

"I...I'm not sure. It felt like you, but something was off about it. Like it was corrupted. And I got this most intense sense of wrong from it," he shuddered. "And from you right now I don't sense that. Instead, I sense calmer more serene things which isn't normal either."

She furrowed her brow, not making sense of anything he was saying. "Stop speaking in tongues and give me the straight answer, cat," she spat, losing patience.

"Normally, you give off an aura. All things do. Animals can sense that as can some humans if the aura is not hidden. This aura is menacing and powerful but also not entirely evil. But now, you don't give off power. Or menace. It's almost...human."

Regina could feel the air leave her lungs. It was true, she had felt weaker. Her powers not coming to her like they should at the battle. Had she weakened even further after the completion of the battle? She grabbed the cat by the scruff, lifting it up to her line of vision. "You better not be bullshitting me right now Neal or I swear-"

"I'm not," he answered calmly. "Something is wrong and I don't know what."

"You need to tell Emma this," Regina stated a bit more calmly when she finally got it together. Just their luck that something foul would be running amiss. And inside their own house. That was truly terrifying. "And then I'm going to find what this thing is and destroy it," she vowed viciously.


	9. Not All in my Head

* * *

_Are you Jekyll and Hyde-ing me? Silently? I can't see in the dark_

_Are you Jekyll or Hyde this time? Where's my mind? I can't sleep in the dark_

_-Bishop Briggs, Jekyll and Hyde-_

* * *

"Emma, I need to talk to you."

"Go away Neal," Emma mumbled, sitting on the back porch of her house, knees to her chest and staring out into the cooling dusk. Regina hadn't bothered to come after her and that bothered Emma more than she knew how to put into words. Her heart felt broken. How could she have not expected this to happen. Maybe Mary and David had been right. Once a demon, always a demon. Emma shouldn't have expected loyalty from Regina at all.

But Regina had said she loved her. Did all those caresses, all that time spent together, did their child and house together, count for nothing? Emma had never had many good things in life to begin with, so to have this taken away from her, it was all so sudden. And so devastating.

"Emma, please," he meowed at her feet. "Stop moping for once and just listen to what I have to say. Regina's innocent."

"I don't care to hear lies. I know she told you to tell me this anyways and you'll do it, because she owns your soul."

"Emma, that's not true. You may have seen one thing but I saw something else," Neal said impatiently.

"You didn't see her cheating on me, with some other woman?" Emma spat bitterly, snuggling deeper into herself. She felt small and vulnerable right now.

Neal was reluctant to say the next part, because he knew it would only confirm Emma's fears. But so did his silence. "I knew it," Emma hissed out, anger filling her empty heart. "I knew it!"

"No, stop that!" he rose to his paws, meowing loudly. "It was true. I saw her there with another woman. But it wasn't Regina. Whoever it was inside...felt and smelt like Regina but it wasn't _your_ Regina."

"What the hell is that meant to mean?" Emma looked down at him.

"It means that someone is trying to trick the both of you-"

"There is no trick. Not everything is about others being out to get us. The war is over. Cora is dead. So, the only person to blame for this all is Regina," Emma said viciously.

"Do you really believe that?" Regina asked softly, standing in the entrance of the back door. She had washed up after the war and looked refreshed from her nap. But there were bags under her eyes that spoke of how worried and ill at ease she was.

She folded her arms over her prim white collared shirt. She always looked ready to go off and talk with CEO's. Emma felt a longing to run into her arms but those same arms had held another woman.

"Yes," was Emma's unapologetic answer.

Regina gave a weary sigh, running a hand through her freshly washed hair. Her scent wafted up when she did that and Emma tried hard not to want it. To want being held by Regina. To want to kiss her. Her heart ached with this divide. "Emma, it wasn't me. I don't know how else to convince you. I was away with the council the whole time. I never came home once during the whole time. Do I need them to come and testify before you so that you will believe me?"

"They're all demons. Why should I trust any of them?"

Regina sucked in a breath at this. Hurt. "Is that what you think happened? That because I was a demon- that I still very proudly am a demon- that I would cheat on you? Cheat on our vows of marriage?"

Emma didn't say anything to this, just stiffly looking ahead. Maybe if she tried hard enough she could ignore this whole situation and Regina would go away. Before they could continue, something intruded their moment.

"Sowing the seeds of chaos is always so fun. I didn't expect it to work so quickly on you two," stated a voice, one that sounded very much like Regina.

Both Regina and Emma turned around slowly to take in the intruder in front of them. It was Regina. Dressed and looking the exact same.

"Given the two of you profess to be so deeply in love with each other and all I did was fake having an affair and Emma was already so ready to believe that it was true," continued the copy of Regina in front of them. Regina held out her arm defensively, trying to put Emma behind her. "Who are you?" Regina barked out.

"I'm you, obviously," copy Regina rolled her eyes and shook her head like anyone who didn't get this was stupid.

"No, you are not," Regina stated with clenched teeth. The hairs on the back of her neck were rising. That couldn't be a good sign.

"Oh, but I am," copy Regina stated, hands in her pockets. "I am you. The less nice, more powerful parts of you, but I'm still you."

"I don't believe that," Regina spat out.

"But you should. Hyde made me."

Regina's eyes flashed with recognition on that name. "Hyde is in prison. My mother put him there. And there would be no way for him to get to me-"

"Do you always talk so much? I swear, being sappy and in love makes you talk more and fight less. Come," copy Regina held out her face, priming her jaw. "Hit me right here. I know you want to, for messing with your family. For making Emma mad at you."

Regina didn't rise to the bait.

Copy Regina bounced back on her heels. "Ah, you're no fun. But don't worry. I'll make sure to create lots of fun for all of us," copy Regina cheered evilly and then was gone in the blink of an eye. Her words did not bond well for the family. In the silence that remained, guilt ate up at Emma. She had been so angry at Regina. And her anger had been unwarranted. Regina had never cheated on her. It had all been a trick. A trick of some copy of Regina.

"Regina, I'm sorry," Emma began to apologize, for thinking that Regina was truly cheating on her. "I didn't-"

"Save it," Regina cut in bitterly, avoiding Emma's eyes. "You jumped to the worst conclusion because I'm a demon. And that hurts, Emma. You didn't even give me a chance to prove my innocence to you. You just assumed the worst. I would never cheat on you," she swore vehemently.

Emma felt those words in her gut like a punch that knocked the breath out of her. "Regina, I was tricked-"

Regina shook her head. She didn't want to listen to this. She walked off, needing to figure out how to break Hyde's copy of her from reeking more havoc.

* * *

Regina and Sidney spent the night scouring the town in secret, trying to track down the other Regina. Split, Regina. She should have guessed Hyde would have had something to do with this, but how did he manage to cast the spell while in prison? She would have to go and see him soon.

"I detect nothing but you, my lady," Sidney said apologetically, bowing his head a bit in reverence. "It's hard to tell which is your signature around town and which is hers."

"We'll need to lay a trap for her then," Regina said. "But what kind?" What even was the goal of making a copy of Regina? There had to be an ulterior motive, it couldn't simply be for chaos. Something told her this was something more and she would be remiss to not listen to her gut feeling. She'd have a thorough conduct of character made by her council. Hell, it could even be someone on the council doing this, but who? She'd have Sidney look into this.

"I think you should get some rest, your highness. Perhaps things will clear up in the morning," Sidney suggested. Regina didn't feel like going to sleep would be productive, not when an evil version of herself was roaming about freely in this town. She just had no idea what sort of chaos would occur.

As for the wards around her house...how could she modify them? Split Regina had gotten in because she was Regina. Unless Regina excluded herself from the house there was no way to really keep the other version of herself out.

Maybe it would be for the best if she stayed out of the house for now. She and Emma weren't on the best of terms and it hurt Regina to look at Emma and know that she thought so little of her. It hurt that the angel could discredit their love so easily. Regina would stay at her home in hell, just until things cooled off between her and Emma.

She trudged back home, leaving Sidney with some work to do. She found Emma on the stoop, carrying Henry in her arms. "What are you doing outside?!" Regina suddenly felt a flush of anger hit her. "Don't you know how dangerous it is. She could be anywhere-"

"She also broke into our home, so I think it's pointless to stay inside, scared at every shadow, thinking it's her," Emma shot back, Henry sucking on his thumb as he observed the fight. In a softer tone, she added, "I was worried for you. You just ran off-"

"I had to try and find her. But I couldn't find her," Regina brushed past Emma. "If you don't mind, I have some things to do."

Emma stared sadly at Regina's back.

* * *

It felt odd, sleeping in an empty bed. Cold too, even with the fires of hell burning outside Regina's window. She gave out a groan and got up from her black silk sheets, unable to sleep. She was worried. Always worried. It had been three days and still there had been no sight of the Split Regina. Regina had sent demon spies to watch over the town and yet they had reported that nothing had happened. It was most worrying. Additionally, she hadn't seen Emma or Henry in a while, but that was her own doing. She and Emma were fighting and she didn't know how to make things right. The rift that Split Regina had caused between them had grown substantially and it would take time for them to heal. Regina knew reasonably it would be smarter to stick together but she just...wasn't ready.

She had adjusted the wards so that not even she could get outside the house, which should stop Split Regina from coming in. Regina stood up and looked out the window, sighing heavily. She had to go find a way to stop her other self. Figuring as she couldn't sleep anyways, she might as well pay a visit to Hyde. Sidney had checked out the prison cell where Hyde was being kept and found he had not escaped at all.

It was most puzzling then how he could do this to Regina, but she'd get her answers soon enough. With a snap of her fingers she was dressed in a sharp pantsuit of all blue and was heading towards the deepest pits of hell, the one were imprisoned high level demons or angels were kept. She descended into the dark pit by elevator, the creaky metal device bringing her down and down and down- it zoomed down quickly several thousands of meters until she reached level 1,205. There were more levels below her but she didn't need those. She exited the elevator, the giant dank pit lit up by torches but otherwise dark. As she walked through the hall, the prisoners in the cells hissed and reared back from her, scared.

She stopped at Hyde's cell, illuminating it with magic. He winced at the harsh light, unable to make out who it was at first. "Ah, your majesty," he got up and did a mockery of a bow. "Come to rub it in my face on how long I will remain here for the crime of angering you by eating your tarts?"

"I'm not Cora. You damn well know that," Regina sniped. It seemed the ghost of Cora would always follow her no matter what.

"I could never be too sure," he grimaced, sitting back down. "The centuries all seem to blend together."

"Let's get to business, Hyde."

"Ah, you know my name? I had feared I was all but writ off, given how long I've been here-"

"Shut it," Regina said loudly, cutting off his rant. "How did you do it?"

"How did I do what?" he blinked at her.

"How did you make a copy of me?" she pressed against the bars, glaring him down angrily through them.

"Naturally. The way I always separate people into two. With my abilities," he spoke slowly as if she was thick. She hit the bars with her fist, making them ring loudly. "Stop fucking with me, Hyde. Tell me what I need to know."

At this he started to giggle. "I don't owe you anything."

"Tell me the truth or so help me-"

"What, you'll kill me? Imprison me? Torment me?" He shook his head. "Go ahead, I have nothing more to live for anyways. You'd be doing me a favor."

It seemed she would need to barter with him. How annoying.

"What if I told you I was more charitable than my mother?"

"I would certainly think you are. This you, at least. The other one, not so nice," he tipped his head at her. "She tried to come in and free me, actually. Or she said she would, but she's a liar. I didn't tell her anything of course, even as she tormented me."

Regina noticed the blood on the floor of the cell. It must be Hyde's. So, her Split self had been here. But for what reason? Surely, if she was Hyde's creation then she knew why she was created. "Tell me, and I'll lessen your sentence."

"I shouldn't be here!" Hyde launched himself at the bars, snarling and gripping them. His jaw shook with barely contained fury. "Your mother locked me in here for an dumb arse reason. I demand to be released!"

Regina took a step back, looking him over coolly. "And how can I trust releasing you, when you did this to me in the first place? And from behind bars too. If I put you out from these bars who is to say you won't hurt me?"

Hyde calmed down at this, realizing the logic behind this. He slunk back and as she watched his face contorted, turning into another one. The kinder face of Jekyll. "I'll swear my loyalty to you. I just want to leave. The other demon said she'd free me but she lied!"

"As queen only I have the power to free you, so you best start speaking what I want to hear."

Jekyll mulled this over, weighing his options. It seemed his taste of freedom overweighed anything else. "Zelena came here."

Cold dread struck a nail through Regina's heart. It seemed her sister truly wasn't dead, and was now wanting to plot against Regina. "She gave me some of your hair and told me to work my magic on it. So I did. I wanted to be free, and I did not see any other option."

How had Zelena gotten that hair? By sneaking into their house? Or by sneaking into the hell mansion? But there had been no unauthorized visits. This was another issue. Zelena had to have someone on the inside who could have done this for her. Could it have been any of the guests during the baby shower? A likely conclusion. She would have to track them all down.

"And how do I get rid of the other me?" Regina asked.

"You either kill her or accept her."

Regina narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by, accept her?"

"Become one. It will become apparent should you chose to do that."

This didn't sound like a sound idea, but what other choice would Regina have. Fighting against herself could not be easy. Nor did Regina have the power to do it. Her evil version had taken all of it with her. Regina only had an inch of her power.

"You have better not be lying about this," Regina warned.

"Your end of the bargain...?"

"Will be fulfilled when I deal with the mess you made," she snapped at him, making him flinch back from the bars. Then, she turned on her heel and left, wondering what else Zelena had in store for her.

* * *

"Aw, no need to cry," a familiar voice said as Emma looked up from how she had been sobbing on her bed.

"You!" she rose up, voice thick with tears and eyes rimmed red, and hastily wiped the tracks made down her cheeks. "This is all your fault!" she edged towards the window. Split Regina was lounging on a branch outside, looking in. She looked to be enjoying the outside world, not a care on her mind.

"I would have preferred soothing your crying but alas, the new wards keep me out," she said with a light shrug.

"I'm crying because of_ you_!"

"Because of my beauty?" Split Regina shook a knowing head. "Yes, I know. It can be overwhelming."

"You did this to us! You broke us apart!" Emma declared, wanting nothing more than to come out that window and deck that Split Regina in the face.

"No, you did," the evil clone sat up, suddenly a touch more serious. "I laid the seeds of doubt, but doubt that you always felt in your heart."

Emma was confused by this. "Are you saying I always suspected you- Regina- to cheat on me?"

"It was what I read in your thoughts while you slept. So I used that."

"How dare you read my mind while I sleep. That is creepy," Emma chastised, though it was with less bite. She felt even more immensely guilty. And she dreadfully missed Regina, wondering how she would ever make it up to her. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. No, evil Regina was just playing mind games with her again. She couldn't give in. "Well, I guess a part of me was correct. Because you did cheat on me."

"Or did I?" Evil Regina narrowed her eyes, still trying to confuse Emma's head and heart further. "It could have all been an illusion."

That was when Emma understood something and it made a warmth spread through her chest. It felt like hope. "You may be evil. You may be all the bad parts of Regina, but you still love me."

"What!" the demon looked shocked by this. "That is ridiculous-"

"But it's true. I know it is." Emma was picking up steam, becoming more confident. She leaned against the window sill, allowing her words to be carried through the opening. "Even before you discovered love magic, you loved me at your most evillest form. So, you can't deny you love me now because this is your evillest form and if you loved me then, than you love me now."

"Shut your mouth!" evil Regina spat out, looking flustered. "I don't love you. At all! And I am going to ruin this perfect world you've set up for yourself." With a poof she was gone and Emma shrunk back, her plan at appealing to the evil Regina emotionally not having worked out.

"Shit." It had only angered evil Regina more. Now what was Emma going to do?


	10. Split

* * *

_Just say everything that you need_

_And I will make it come true_   
_Then break the rules that you made_   
_Turn me into someone like you_   
_And just like you..._

_-Monster, Colours-_

* * *

Emma could hear the explosions rocking the town and her chest clenched in worry. Henry looked at her with wide eyes. "Mommy. Big boom!" he said, coming to her and looking scared by the loud sounds. "Go up to your room, Henry. Mommy will sound proof your room, okay? Sit there and read the book Belle gave you."

Henry nodded his head and his stubby toddler feet helped him crawl up the stairs. On his head was the hat Granny had given him. He would not part with it for more than a day and Emma had long given up fighting him on it when there were more important things.

Like Evil Regina destroying what was supposed to be Emma's safe haven. Her and Regina's new start with the life they wanted.

And what of Archie and Michael? Emma really wanted to make sure they were okay.

Hopefully Split Regina wouldn't see them as too much of a threat and leave them alone because Emma would never be able to forgive herself if harm came to them simply because they were her friends.

Still, Emma worried. She should be out there, trying to reason with Regina's evil twin but there was no one to watch over Henry. Emma couldn't call her parents down because they could hurt the evil clone. Even worse, start a mini war between the angels and demons!

No, the only person Emma could call right now was the one person who probably didn't want to see her. Regina.

Emma tried coming up with other ideas on how to fix this without using Regina's help but didn't get very far. She caved and used her calling card to call Regina. Since the queen couldn't be summoned into the house due to the new wards, the card functioned like a long distance phone call. Emma put it up to her ear as it rang. She hoped and prayed Regina would eventually pick it up. Emma expected the first ten calls to go avoided and it was only on the eleventh one that was picked up.

"What?" Regina huffed into the phone. It very much sounded like she didn't want to talk to Emma.

Emma took a deep breath, steadying herself as her heart jumped to her throat at the sound of Regina's voice. "Look, I know you don't want to talk to me, but there is a slight issue up in the human realm. Split Regina is wreaking havoc on the town and I really don't want to leave Henry alone while I go and stop her. Mary and David coming to babysit is not an option either and Neal has disappeared."

The cat had probably gone to fool around with the other stray cats in town.

Hussy.

"Those good for nothing-!" Regina hissed in annoyance as the information sank in. Why hadn't her demons stationed in the human realm reported anything? She was going to have their heads for it! Split Regina probably had something to do with this if Regina had to hedge a bet. Masquerading as the real Regina and probably ordering them not to report back. "I'll be up there shortly. Just hold tight."

No matter how she and Emma were fighting right now, Henry was in the middle of this and Regina would never let any harm come to her son. The calling card turned off and then Regina was back up in the human realm, sighing in irritation at the mess her sister Zelena had caused with her involvement. Once this was all over, Regina was hunting her down and ending her for once and for all.

Regina took stock of the town around her. She should have asked Emma for more details but she hadn't thought of doing that, so consumed with the urge to come up here and make sure everything was okay. She could hear the noise of distant explosions and a thick aura hung in the air. It was one of malice. Something was happening in this town. Regina just didn't know what. All she did know was that it couldn't be good.

She hurried down the streets, debating if she should check up on Emma and Henry first. She was still upset at Emma but Henry was her son and the main reason Emma had called for Regina's help. Deciding she had time for a quick visit, she teleported in the way of her house, unable to step on the lawn since the wards were up to prevent Split Regina from coming in. And since Regina was the same as her, the wards prevented her as well from arriving. She cupped her hands around her mouth and called out. "Emma!"

No response, no head peeping out the window. So she called a second and then a third time and finally was rewarded with Emma opening up the window. "How is Henry?"

Emma didn't respond for a while, giving Regina a hard look. "How do I know it's really you?"

Regina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course this would be an issue. She didn't have time to debate this. "Call me on the calling card."

Emma ducked back in and then back out, holding the card up to her ear. Regina's rang and she picked it up. "Trust me now?"

"I don't know if I can trust you after what you did," Emma retorted with and that stung. Regina inhaled a sharp breath, stopping Emma before she could continue on into a dark spiral. "Emma, stop that. We don't have time for this. I want to know how Henry is and what the hell my split version is doing."

Emma took a breath as if to hold back the urge from saying anything more nasty. "Henry's alright. A bit scared, but alright. I put more wards up on his room. And Split Regina came by for a visit and then waltzed off to destroy the town. I have no idea what she's doing but it doesn't sound good."

That wasn't much to go off of. "I'll check it out and try to stop her. You stay here and don't leave."

"I don't want you to get hurt," Emma admitted and they were still talking through the calling card even though they could hear each other on the street. She was upset at Regina, but she still cared for her immensely. "I want to be out there, helping you."

"But you need to watch out for Henry. Keep him safe. I'll be fine," Regina said stoically and then ended the call, giving Emma one last lingering gaze before she left.

* * *

She found her evil self in the middle of the mall, perched up on a high beam rafter as one leg dangled in the air, watching with keen amusement at the chaos down below. Regina had to blast the doors in in order to get inside and found to her dismay that everyone human inside had been turned into zombies. They all turned to her, growling at the fresh meat that came inside.

The rotting corpses shambled forward and she flicked her hand casually, smashing them against the walls. "What have you done?" Regina cried out. She didn't care for these people, but she cared that they might be friends of Emma. And then, Emma would never forgive Regina's evil self.

"What does it look like?" is the retort as Split Regina jumps down, landing softly on the ground. The zombies do not even seem to register her. "I'm ruining your and Emma's life."

"No, you don't want that," Regina insists.

"And how do you know what I want?" Split Regina raises a brow, suddenly angry. "You didn't even want me!"

"What are you talking about?" Regina asks, confused. This was not where she had expected the conversation to go.

"You wanted to get rid of me!" Split Regina insists. "You wanted to chase the darkness from you, and now, you're going to try and kill me! Well guess what," was the spat answer, "if you kill me, then all your powers go away too and finally, you'll be the sad mess of a demon you actually are. But the good news is, I won't let you kill me. You're the weaker one, too kind and too in love. Only the strong can survive in this world!" And then she raised her hands and the rest of the zombies in the mall rushed forwards on her command.

They were like a spilling ocean. One giant horde running towards her. Could Regina in her newly weakened state defeat them all? She raised her hands and conjured magic. It coiled around her and then raced through the horde, wrapping around them in tendrils. And then, she squeezed her fist and the tendrils exploded, sending a shower of rotting guts and limbs everywhere. Not all of them had gotten caught in the spell and Regina stumbled back, finding herself so exhausted already by that meager exertion of magic. A few stranglers ran at her but those were no longer her worry. Split Regina teleported next to her, so close, that she could punch her. Which she did. Regina went flying through a stone pillar and right into a store front, screaming as glass pierced her and her ribs snapped on impact. She rolled into a tangled stop in a rack of clothes and coughed up blood, pain radiating through her.

Fuck, this was bad.

Could she even heal these injuries quickly enough?

She made an attempt to move, knowing she had to get out of the way or else she would suffer more damage. But it felt like she was moving through water. Split Regina was taking her time now to come closer, striding over the broken glass pane and with electricity coiling in her hand. Her leer was dark. "Out of shape?" she jeered and Regina only coughed up more blood in answer to that. She eventually freed herself from the clothing trapping her, only to get blasted with an electric arc. Her teeth snapped shut, cutting her tongue in half and she dropped hard to her knees, bruising them. She had a mouth full of blood now and she spat it out.

She was so weak. She hadn't expected to be _this_ weak. And her healing was so slow. She couldn't even tell if she was healing at all. Split Regina chuckled at seeing her other self in so much pain. She sent another bolt and another at Regina, watching in delight as the woman writhed under her. "Suffer, you fucking bitch!" she screamed down at her and Regina did. At last some of the pain was eased up and she panted, gasping for air. Her tongue had regrown now and she tried to speak, "Listen-"

But her split self was not having it. She lifted Regina up by the throat in mid air and then threw her through the wall. Regina smashed through three stores this way and out into a hallway where there was a group of zombies that had been spared by her earlier attack. She was barely on her feet, disheveled and disoriented, when the first zombie grabbed her, snapping it's teeth at her neck.

She screamed when it's incisors scrapped her skin and he exploded, her magic reacting violently. But it fizzled out quickly, and she had to physically fight off the other three zombies grouping around her. Her muscles hurt to the point of her wanting to cry, especially her snapped ribs. But she clobbered one of the zombies hard in the head, snapping it right off as she then turned and ducked under another zombies outstretched arms before hobbling over to the third zombie and sinking her heel into it's ankle and using her elbow to crush his face in, making him fall down. Then, she pulled her heel free of his sickly green flesh and turned, with a degree of pain, to smash the other zombie right in the face too.

Her body was beginning to heal, but it wasn't good enough. She was wrecked compared to her other self, who, as usual, was taking her time to stride up, gloating heavily at Regina.

"Having some trouble there?" she asked, as she raised her hands, a silent summoning for the other zombies walking around in the mall. Their groans echoed horrendously through the cavern of the mall and Regina swallowed heavily, unsure if she could stop the tide of undead.

Regina wasn't going to run. No, she wasn't. It was just a strategic retreat for now.

Using her hand, she blasted a hole right into the side of the building, finding sunlight and freedom on the other side.

Clutching her hurt side, she got out of the way as zombies poured out of the mall they had been contained in.

Clearly, fighting Split Regina wasn't going to work. She held all of Regina's powers and though Regina had her powers that were granted to her by being in love, that wouldn't be enough to defeat her evil twin because the simple fact was, Regina hadn't had time to assess and learn them. Ever since the apocalypse had been reverted, Regina hadn't really had to fight anyone on the same scale as fighting all the sins and her mother. Those odds had been terrible and Regina had been out of her depth there too. But the circumstances had been different. She had been fighting for Emma and for the world and she hadn't been fighting her own self. Someone, who knew her every move.

No, Regina would have to do what it was Hyde had told her to do. And if she couldn't kill her evil twin- that could lead to Regina losing her powers in the process since her evil twin had all of them- than she would have to accept her. But could she? And more importantly, could Emma?

Regina teleported out of there and found herself in front of Emma's house. Using her calling card, she impatiently tapped her foot on the floor, waiting for Emma to pick up. She was aware that zombies were roaming the town and any second they could reach this far out from the shopping center. Also, Split Regina might decide to follow Regina and finish what she had started.

Emma picked up on the last ring. "Hello?"

"Emma," Regina breathed out, not sure how to proceed. She also didn't want to sound out of breath or hurt.

"What's the situation like?" Emma asked, straight to the point.

"Not good," Regina reported, pinching her brow. She had been hoping to see Emma poke her head out this window while they had this conversation but maybe it would be for the best if she didn't. Because the pain of the fight hurt Regina still. "My clone made the towns folk into zombies. And they're tearing the city and other people apart. I tried fighting them off and her but my magic is too weak."

An inhaled gasp of horror. "Do you want me out there-"

"I already said no. Please, don't get more involved than you need to be," Regina nearly begged. "This is my mess."

"It's our mess, because we're..." Emma stopped from saying couple. Were they even still that? There was so much uncertainty. Emma swallowed harshly and moved on. "What do you think should be done?" Emma glanced over to where Henry was sleeping, tucked into bed and sucking his thumb. He looked so peaceful like that.

"I can't defeat her." Regina hated to admit this; her ego hurt. "So the only other option is to accept her."

Long silence on the other end. Regina almost thought Emma hung up. "Then do it," Emma said at once. Regina hadn't been expecting to hear that.

"But...she's all the evil parts of me. All the wrong I've done. And you just...you just want that back?" Regina stated, with clear confusion.

"I do," Emma said earnestly. "Because she's you, and I fell in love with you. All of you."

Regina's lower lip wobbled with emotion. She bit down on it to make it stop. "Are you sure you don't want a better me. A less evil me?"

"Regina, that wouldn't be you. Besides, you've already become less evil through your own means, through working on yourself. I don't want you to be less evil because you had a part of you removed. I want you to be you because it's what you decided, the choice you made, and not by some mad man's hands."

Strangely, that had been what Regina had wanted to hear. "Thank you," she breathed out. "I'll come back when it's done." And she clicked off and went to go see her twin, unsure how she would convince Split Regina to ever come back. Emma stared at the calling card, worried as ever for her wife and for her friends in town. She wanted nothing more than to leave this house and help but she couldn't because she didn't want to leave Henry alone even if the wards were up on this house.

Emma leaned against the wall, tapping the card thoughtfully on her chin as she sighed to herself.

* * *

"Back for more?" Split Regina sneered as she sat on top of town hall, while her zombie army milled around down below her, hungrily snarling for brains and pushing things over in a brainless rage.

Regina was sitting on top of the building directly in front of town hall and they did not have to yell across the space to hear each other for their sharp hearing could pick up the softest whisper. She tried to mimic Split Regina's casual pose, one where one leg was sung over the side of the building, arm against it as she leaned back on her right hand. Her top buttons were undone, collar flapping in the high wind.

Regina sat down as well, letting her feet dangle over the ledge where several zombies had noticed her and were licking their chomps, hoping she would fall down. "I'm not here to fight. I'm here to reconcile."

"Reconcile?" Split Regina chortled, as if Regina had told the joke of the year. "Why ever would you do that? Is it because you realized how pathetically weak you are without me?"

"No, it's not that," Regina said, drawing in a deep breath. She decided she would forgo all her fancy words, all her manipulations and just go with the cold hard truth. "It's because Emma wants you."

The truth hangs in the air, Regina's eyes wide. "You're pulling my leg."

"I'm not. I was content with us never becoming one, but then Emma told me that if I destroyed you or you destroyed me it wouldn't be the same. That she wanted us both because that was who she loved."

Split Regina fiddled with her jacket corner, growing increasingly uncomfortable. But why? Regina remained cool and impasse on the outside. She had to. She could not afford to show any emotion right now.

"Why would she say that?!" Split Regina growled out.

"Because she's our wife and she loves us," Regina said calmly and rationally. "And we love her-"

"No, I don't love her!" Split Regina roared as she got to her feet.

Regina had not expected this reaction. Why was her evil self in so much denial about this?

"Emma only loves the good you. She only wants a life with a demon whose not a demon-"

"Why would you think that?" and it wasn't Regina who had said this, but Emma. Emma who had found a way up to the roof Split Regina was on. Her form materialized as her invisibility wore off. Regina was now the one on her feet, body tensed. What was Emma doing out here? Outside of the house? It was dangerous! And where was Henry? Was he safe?

Split Regina whirled in on Emma and Regina let a fireball light up her hand but Emma looked at her and shook her head no. Regina let the hot flames die down. What was Emma playing at? Regina clamped her lips shut and decided she would put trust into Emma; that the blonde knew what she was doing.

"Emma-" Split Regina began and Emma spoke over her. "I am an angel. It's a truth that pained me when I first learned of it. And it wasn't because of my duties, but because of the fact that at that time, you were only using me to corrupt me and use my soul to end the world, since I am the savior. But I still looked past such a grievous hurt because I was in love with you and I still am. No matter the terrible things you did, or that I forced you to do, I didn't care. Because you were my Regina," Emma said, placing her hands over her chest where her heart was. "And true, Regina has changed a lot since we first met. She has learned the power of love and it's taken some of the dark out of her. But she's still a demon, and she's still evil. Nothing about that has changed, and neither have my feelings for her. It was why I got so upset when she 'cheated' because I thought that maybe her love for me had waned. But it hasn't because our love is different than any others love before it. I am an angel but I am certainly not pure and I don't care how hard you try to push me away or pretend you don't care for me because it's the 'evil thing to do' because you won't lose me. I was drawn to you from the start, and it's going to stay that way no matter how evil or not evil you become."

Split Regina seemed at a lose of words. Only the noises of snarling zombies filled the air as the evil version thought over Emma's words.

"What do you want me to do?" she said in defeat finally, hanging her shoulders. It seemed that somehow, Emma's impassioned words had gotten to her. 

"I want to love the two of you, in one. Please," Emma said and Split Regina turned to look over at Regina. "Well, what are you waiting for, you hear what the wife wants."

And Regina smiled. Oh, it would feel good to be whole once more.

* * *

"Useless," Zelena said, looking down in derision at Hyde. He was on his knees, choking, blood gushing from his slit throat. "I gave you one job and you went behind my back and fixed the very problem you were asked to give."

"I just...wanted...to be free," he gurgled before collapsing to the floor, eyes unblinking as the red pooled around him.

"And now you will be," Zelena sneered, wiping her bloody hand on her pants. She turned to look off into the distance of hell. The red fiery sky, the dry cracked earth, the screams and maniacal cries of both demon and human soul. This was all meant to be hers. Her plan with Hyde might have failed but it had succeeded in distracted Emma and Regina and in building a temporary rift between them. It was enough for Zelena to sneak in and plant the other seeds of her other plans.

Soon, this whole kingdom would be hers.

Soon, mother would rise once more.

And Regina and her family would pay for what they had done.


End file.
